Blueberry Stained Summer
by Lauricula
Summary: Hermione's here to heal, Draco's here in hiding. Neither one expected to see each other the day she entered that tiny, little bookshop. "I want you to stay." she breathed, their lips inches apart. Draco closed the distance between them and swallowed the words he had been dying to hear." Post-war. EWE. Part 1 of a 3 part series.
1. Hello, Again

_Blueberry Stained Summer_

_June 2nd, 1998_

Hermione's eyes flitted open, squinting against the weak gleams of sunlight streaming through her window. Her dry lips let out a stifled yawn as she rolled onto her side. Birds sang outside her little cottage as day came to life. Hermione ran her dainty fingers through the tangled curls that spread across her warm pillow. Another morning. Another day.

Heaving out a heavy sigh, she threw back the covers, sliding her bare feet into her slippers and wrapped her robe around her bare form. She stood in front of the four pane window and watched as tree branches swayed in the breeze. It was always quiet around her, but that was just how she liked it. The witch moved away from the window, before she started to feel it again. Guilt.

She had changed so much after the war. Everyone did. Change is inevitable. Of course she had been happy that her side had won, that she still had her two best friends. But the war had taken so many things away from her...her family, school mates, a sense of security. So she had fled. She left a note for Harry and Ron explaining she just needed so time to herself, to recover. Sometimes she wished they knew where she was, an owl from them would have been nice. Just to know they were alright. At the very least she knew they weren't mad. To them, it would make sense. They would understand.

Hermione had traveled for days, searching for the perfect location. Finally she had come across this cottage, settled deep in the woods. Town was about an hour away on foot, and after walking the distance the first time, she had found a secluded spot she could apparate to. The woods stood on top of a cliff which overlooked the ocean. Sometimes, when Hermione was feeling lonely, she'd sit on the edge and listen to the waves crash against the rocks far below her.

Her body ached with tense muscles as she stretched her arms over head and made way to the bathroom. Her toes stepped onto the cold tile floor as she turned on the shower, watching the steam rise. Slowly she stepped in, allowing the hot water to wash over the goose bumps now lining her skin. Hermione let out a small moan as she drenched her chestnut locks. She lathered her body in her mango soap and allowed all thoughts of Harry, the war and all of her friends to flow down the drain.

* * *

><p>Hermione sat at the small dining room table, mindlessly eating her cereal as she scanned the paper. Her owl Luna sat on the window sill, waiting patiently for food. Luna delivered the Daily Prophet every morning for Hermione. She had thought it would be wise to get an owl, now that she was living on her own. Of course she had the urge to send a quick letter to Harry and the others, to assure them she was alright. But she wasn't going to do it. Not yet.<p>

There was an article about Kingsley being announced as the new Minister and Hermione smiled. Kingsley would do well.

She turned the page and her spoon slipped from her grasp, clanging against the bowl. Ginny had been made a chaser on the Holyhead Harpies. Her eyes scanned the article just in case there was more she should know, all the while there was nothing more Hermione wanted to do than to send one of her closest friends a congratulations letter.

After recovering from the shock, and reading an article about construction beginning on Hogwarts castle Hermione set the paper aside and finished her cereal. The cabinets and refrigerator were practically bare; she would have to venture into town today. Hermione savored her trips into town, it was the only time she socialized with others. Not to mention she was quite confident that she would never run into someone from the Wizard world. There was a little book shop that was due to open this week, along with an ice cream shop, a bakery, a market and antique shops with cute little trinkets.

Hermione placed her bowl and spoon in the sink and proceeded to get dressed. She picked out her favorite white sundress, one trimmed with light blue lace around the hem and accentuated her slight curves and slipped on her sandals. She stopped at the mirror that hung on her wall and checked to make sure her hair didn't look like a rat's nest before deciding she looked fine and left the solitude of her cottage.

* * *

><p>The sun was beating down on Hermione and she could feel its powerful rays burning her scalp. Perhaps she should invest in sun block. Luckily there was a subtle cool breeze that whipped through her hair and tickled the long grass against her exposed legs. Birds chirped and tweeted as they flew by, accompanied by a low buzz of insects residing in the green blades. Just a few more feet and she would be able to apparate.<p>

She could hear the trickle of water as she passed a rather small creek. Pausing at the sight of it, she gazed at it, imaging how cool the water would feel against her skin. Hermione slowly made her way over to the creek and found a rock she could sit on. The brunette slipped off her sandals and proceeded to dip her feet in the flowing water. An audible sigh escaped her lips while her body temperature decreased slightly. This is exactly what she needed.

After allowing herself a few more minutes to cool off, Hermione reached her apparition spot. She glanced around just to double check no one was watching before spinning on the spot.

The small town shops were relatively quiet today; though Hermione suspected that was normal for a Wednesday early afternoon. Either way, she was thankful. There was a small group of women chatting merrily with shopping bags clutched in their hands and a few loners just strolling along, momentarily gazing at various store signs. Other than that, the cobbled streets were empty.

She decided to do her browsing before her shopping for necessities. Her first stop was the ice cream shop where she got a chocolate ice cream cone with sprinkles. Hermione leisurely made her way to the bookshop, that she heard was now open thanks to the kind old woman who ran the ice cream shop, while licking her melting ice cream.

A little bell tinkled over head as she stepped into the small shop. Books lined the walls, the familiar scent of old books and dust filled her nostrils. Hermione continued to lick her ice cream as she perused the shelves, running a finger along the spines. Being in the presence of books always seemed to calm her.

The space was a little cramped, but to her, it made it all the more cozy. There were a few books that peaked her interest but not enough to pluck them off the shelf.

"Miss, you can't have that in here." a voice said behind her.

Hermione whipped around in shock, dropping her cone in the process.

A tall, lean figure stood before her. His hair a luminescent platinum blonde and bright gray eyes, practically sparkling in the fluorescent light. That all too familiar smirk twisted upon his lips.

"Malfoy?" she stuttered, studying him.

His eyes squinted as they studied her, and she tried hard to conceal the blush she could feel working its way up her neck. She had only seen him for about ten seconds and she already didn't like the way he was looking at her. It felt too familiar. There seconds of silence that felt like hours before his eyes widened just a tad.

"Granger?" he questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." she shot back.

Draco nodded in consideration. "Fair enough. That's exactly why you can't have food in here by the way." he noted, pointing to the puddle of chocolate on the wooden floor.

Hermione glanced down and blushed even harder. "Well maybe you shouldn't sneak up on people!"

"Maybe you shouldn't be so jumpy." he stated, shrugging his narrow shoulders.

She glared at him as he stared back at her. "You haven't changed one bit. You're still an arse." she spat.

Malfoy frowned at her words. He furrowed his eyebrows as he fought to answer. She watched him with flaring nostrils and a slightly heaving chest. A bell tinkled lightly and to her surprise, Draco stepped closer to her. She could feel his breath tickle the stray hairs against her forehead.

"Maybe I'm still an arse, but in case you haven't noticed. I'm working in a muggle book shop. If you still want to believe I haven't changed," he whispered, never taking his eyes off of hers. "That's your decision. I don't need your approval, Granger."

She studied his features in that moment. He did appear softer...kinder, almost. His forehead was no lined with wrinkles ever present in worry. Those once cold grey eyes now held dull sparkle. His thin lips no longer settled into a frown, but a neutral flat line. And did she detect a rosy hint to his porcelain skin?

"I'm going to help my customer. I trust you have your wand on you?" he asked.

Hermione nodded.

"Clean up your mess then."

And with that, he turned and walked away. She watched his retreating back and began to wonder what the hell had just happened. Why was Draco Malfoy working a muggle town? And more specifically, a book shop?

The young witch stayed hidden in the shelves as she watched the few customers make their purchases and leave. It was only when it was the two of them again that she made her way towards the front of the store, to where he stood behind the cash register.

"Bloody hell, Granger, no one knows us here. You don't have to sneak about." he called out, scanning between the shelves for her.

Hermione poked out to the far right, farthest from the door. She approached the counter slowly, licking her lips as she decided on which question to ask first. Meanwhile he was counting the drawer and mumbling the calculations as he went. She hadn't seen him look so concentrated before.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, now standing directly across from him. "I mean, this is a muggle town." her voice now a whisper.

Draco looked up and scanned the store to make sure they really were alone.

"I don't think I owe you any answers, Granger." his tone was clipped.

Hermione rolled her eyes and leaned forward. He could smell her mango soap. "Weren't you the least bit surprise to run in to me? And a muggle book shop of all places?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her before leaning in, centimeters away from her lips this time.

"Granger you are the most predictable person on the planet. If there was ever a search party out for you, the first place they would look is a library or a book shop. Seeing you here today is no surprise. I'll tell you what I do find strange. The fact that Potter and Weasley aren't attached at your hips. What happened there, Granger?" his voice felt like silk against her ears and she hated him for it.

"Like you said, I don't owe you answers." she replied coolly, folding her arms across her chest.

Malfoy snorted. "You started this, remember?"

She didn't meet his eyes.

"Look, there's a small pub just a few doors down. How about we meet there at six and I'll answer your ridiculous questions and you can answer mine. Deal?" he said it so nonchalantly it made her head spin.

She stammered for a moment, trying to see if there was an ulterior motive. But he merely stared at her, calm as could be just waiting for her to answer. Part of her wanted to say yes, and that scared her. She had no reason to want to be in his presence. She should hate him with a burning passion right now. He had disappeared with his parents in the midst of the war and hadn't been seen since. He was a coward. But her curiosity was getting the best of her. She needed answers. She needed to know what he was doing running a book shop in a muggle town.

"Fine. Six o'clock." she said through gritted teeth before turning on her heel and stalking out the door.

Draco watched her small form retreat into the sunlight and warmth. He had been shocked to see her, indeed. It was assumed that she'd be where ever Weasley and Potter were. Yet here she was, in a small muggle town and no sign of her meddlesome friends. Malfoy couldn't deny she looked well. Her skin glowed with a hint of a slight tan, and she seemed relax. Her hair was much tamer and now sat in loose curls just past her shoulders.

His curiosity was peaked, there was no denying. Draco found himself staring at the clock for the remainder of the day.

* * *

><p>Six o'clock rolled around much faster than Hermione wanted. When she got back from town and put away her groceries, she decided to head out to the cliff side and maybe take a nap. She had felt thrown off since her encounter with Draco and the thought of sitting around the house made her nerves swell with anxiety.<p>

She had put on her bathing suit, threw a large t-shirt over head, grabbed a bowl of fresh blueberries and headed outside. Once situated with a bug repelling charm cast around her, Hermione propped open her book and began mindlessly popping blueberries in between her rose tinted lips. The sun was high in the sky and boring onto her neck while ocean waves crashed against the rocks that held her at least eighty feet above. A cool breeze gently whipped her golden brown locks out of her face.

The hours zipped by quickly and before Hermione knew it, it was five fifteen which meant she needed to hurry and leave before she was late. Not wanting to give Malfoy the impression that this was anything more than answering questions, Hermione threw on a pair of jeans, changed into a slightly more fitting t-shirt and threw on her jean jacket to ward off the chill that would later come. While questioning why she bothered to check for blueberry remnants in her teeth, Hermione bustled out the door.

* * *

><p>Draco watched as the seconds ticked by to five thirty, before he decided to close shop for the evening. Leaving him half an hour to collect himself and wander the streets a bit before he had to meet Hermione. He couldn't quite place his finger on why he felt a little nervous to see her. Perhaps it was because he knew she was angry with him. After all, she only knew what she saw on the day of the war. But that only caused him to question why he cared if she was mad at him or not.<p>

The streets were mostly empty now, with only a few people heading out of the town for the night. Most people around the area had families and steady jobs; to find more than a few lone people in town after six o'clock was rarity. Luckily this meant they would have some privacy at the pub.

The young man checked his watch every few minutes as he meandered the streets, watching the sun slowly sink towards the horizon. His thoughts drifted between his conversation with the witch earlier and what questions she was going to throw at him tonight. Before he knew it, it was five minutes until six, cueing him to head to the pub.

* * *

><p>Hermione walked into the pub just two minutes after six. It was spacious with dark oak walls decorated with moving paintings of customers over the years. The elongated bar matched the walls and seated in front of the bar were red leather seats. A fireplace crackled against the far wall with a few black leather chairs surrounding it. She searched the tables until she found the blonde seated at a table for two just a few feet away from the fireplace. The back section of the pub had a wall semi-dividing the pub, making for more privacy. Hermione felt her knees grow shaky when she realized how private their spot was.<p>

She sat down across from him and gave a small, nervous smile. Draco nodded in return before motioning over the waitress.

"I'll have a glass of whiskey, please." he told the red head.

The waitress nodded and scribbled on her pad. She then turned her attention to Hermione.

"And you dear?" her smile warm and welcoming.

"Just a beer please." Hermione requested.

She nodded again before leaving to fetch their drinks.

The odd pair remained silent as they waited for their drinks. Draco had no problem staring at her, while Hermione preferred to look anywhere but at Draco. She had no idea how this was going to go and already she was beginning to regret her decision to come here. This was stupid. So, so stupid!

Their waitress returned with their drinks and asked if they needed anything else before leaving again.

Hermione took a sip of her beer just to have something to do. She still didn't look at him.

"You're uncomfortable." he said.

She scowled at him. "I am not."

"Then why get defensive about it?" he asked with a smirk.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Granger if you don't want to be here, why are you here?" he asked.

"I want answers. I want to know what the hell you're doing in a muggle town!" she hissed.

To her surprise, he smirked. "There we go. You really want to know?"

He took her silence as a yes.

Malfoy let out a long sigh while running his finger around the rim of his glass. He stared out the window for a few moments before turning his attention back to her. She could see his adams apple move as he swallowed.

"After the war ended, my father was imprisoned. No surprise there. My mum and I had a long talk as we had a decision to make. Face trial or become part of 'The Enlightened'."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but he held up a hand, silently asking her to let him finish.

"We chose 'The Enlightened'."

He watched the shock spread all over he gentle features. She was dying to ask more questions but knew he wasn't finished just yet.

"The Order was accepting of us, offered to help us and offer us protection. Some of the old Death Eaters weren't too happy about our decision. So we were at a bit of a risk. The Order thought it best if we moved somewhere secluded. Somewhere Death Eaters wouldn't go near."

"A muggle town." Hermione said grimly.

Draco nodded. "Precisely. After a week or two, mother fell ill. We both think it's due to stress. She was in a horrid state after father went to Azkaban. Of course she knew how awful he was, but they were still married. She still had love for him, I think." his voice cracked slightly, but he cleared his throat to hide it.

"We still have our wealth, but not as much. So I opened the book shop to help keep money coming in. Mother's at St. Mungo's now, so it's just me."

He stayed silent after that. She didn't know what to say. The fire crackled beside them, radiating warmth. Her beer was almost gone, while Draco's glass sat empty. Noticing their drinks, Draco waved over their waitress and asked for another round of drinks. The silence between them was oddly comfortable.

"What made you decide to...you know...?" Hermione asked, at lost for the proper term to use.

Malfoy pondered for a moment. He scratched his stubble absent-mindedly.

"Can I answer that at a later time?"

She frowned at his answer. "Why? Because so far the only reason was to save your own arse?"

He practically felt the venom in her words and it stung a bit. So he let out another sigh before finding his words.

"At the time, it was one of the main reasons. We're Slytherins, Granger. We do what is necessary to keep ourselves safe. But it wasn't the only reason." he sounded tired.

"Then why don't you just tell me the others?" she shot back, feeling the anger grow inside her.

"Because I'm not ready!" Draco retorted, his voice raising slightly.

The sun was closer to the horizon now. A fiery glow cast over the flat landscape, with elongated shadows decorating the earth. She wanted to head back soon before it grew too dark.

"My turn." he said huskily, taking a long swig of his whiskey.

It really was annoying how attractive he looked right now.

"Okay then, fine." she breathed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes like slits as he stared at her.

She knew he was going to ask that. Had rehearsed her answer a thousand times before coming to meet him tonight. It was still a sensitive topic. She didn't like thinking about the war...and thinking about her friends always brought on a fresh wave of guilt.

"I decided I needed some time alone after the war ended...We lost a lot of people. People who didn't have to die. So...I left." she spoke so softly, Draco had to lean in just to barely hear her words.

"Are Potter and Weasley with you?" he asked, trying to hide his dying curiosity.

He couldn't explain how relieved he felt when she shook her head.

"I needed to be alone. I found a cottage not far from here."

The blonde couldn't think of anything to say. It felt awkward asking about the war, because he knew her response would be some sort of comment about how he'd know if he bothered to stay and fight. And to be honest he didn't feel like being scolded, especially by Granger. So he just answered with a nod and became intensely interested in a flock of birds flying by.

"I think I should go now, Malfoy." Hermione said, pulling him back to reality.

"Oh, right yes. It'll be dark soon..." he muttered with a frown upon his lips.

After stopping at the bar to pay their bill, the pair left the pub. She had allowed him to walk her to the edge of town before she stopped him in their tracks.

"I can apparate from here." she said, hugging herself as a chilly breeze swept over them.

He nodded, staring off at the moon which sat perched above her shoulder. "Alright then. Just...send me an owl when you get home?"

She stared at bewildered by his request. "Why?"

Draco ruffled his hands through his hair, looking agitated. "Blimey, Granger, because I'm human. I'd feel guilty if you didn't get home safely."

"Right. Sure." she said, feeling quite awkward. "Will my owl-?"

"It should be able to find me." he reassured her.

She nodded, said thank you for the drink and whirled on the spot. Leaving a confused Draco staring into the darkening forest.

* * *

><p>Hermione wasn't the slightest bit tired when she returned home. Instead she was wide awake with confusion and something else she couldn't quite place her finger on. She had sent an owl to Malfoy per his request and proceeded to shower. After the scent of the pub and Malfoy were gone, she settled on her couch with a book and a cup of tea. The windows were open, allowing the cool breeze to flow through her tiny cottage.<p>

To her surprise, Luna had arrived not even forty-five minutes later. Shaking the suspicion that Draco lived close, she pulled out another piece of parchment and wrote a hasty note to Ginny, giving instructions where to apparate to. She knew that she had wanted to remain hidden, but she needed to talk to Ginny about this and waiting for an owl post was too much to even think about.

The brunette glanced up when she heard a knock on her door and rushed to answer it. When she opened the door, an angry red head stood waiting for her. Crap. She hadn't thought about how Ginny might react to her sudden communication.

"Hermione Jean Granger!" Ginny's voice was sharp as she stepped over the threshold and pushed past her best friend.

"Ginny, I know-" Hermione pleaded.

"Don't! You disappear for a month and then you owl me out of the blue. Are you mad?" Ginny whirled on her, her nostrils flaring.

"I'm sorry-"

"Do you have any idea how worried we've all been?" The red head scolded.

Hermione let an inappropriate giggle but soon recoiled at Ginny's glare.

"What is so funny?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're so much like your mother." Hermione said with a reluctant smile.

For whatever reason, this seemed to calm Ginny. Her shoulders relaxed and her features softened.

"Blimey, Hermione..." Ginny whispered, looking away from her best friend.

Hermione sat down on the couch, motioning for Ginny to do the same. After a few moments of tension filled silence, Ginny sat down next to her.

"Will you let me explain?" Hermione asked, glancing over at the clearly upset Weasley.

"I suppose." the younger witch replied.

"I needed alone time. I'm glad Voldemort is dead and I'm glad we won but...we had also lost so much. And after having to send my parents to Australia, not knowing who I am...it just kind of came crashing down after it was all over. I was so overwhelmed and I just...I couldn't stay. I know this sounds horribly selfish, and maybe it is. I knew people needed me, but to be honest, I also knew I wasn't going to be much help if I were a mess." Hermione rushed out, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Ginny shook her head. "Didn't you think about the fact that maybe some of us felt the exact same way? That we weren't aware that the war may be over but we now have to forever live with those losses? It's not about being helpful, it's about sticking together through the pain."

Hermione felt a stray tear roll down her cheek. "No, no I didn't think about." her voice was sorrowful and quiet.

"Clearly." Ginny replied with pursed lips.

Another few moments of silence followed as Hermione recollected herself and Ginny seemed to calm down.

"Right, now that that's out of the way. What did you need to talk about?" Her voice was relaxed and the color had drained from her face, leaving her normal pale tone.

"Oh um..." Hermione mumbled, drawing her knees to her chest. "It's nothing really."

"Oh don't you dare do that Hermione. I did not come all this way just for you to decide it's nothing." The read head warned.

The brunette gave a resolved sigh and wiped away the last few tears. "I ran into someone in town today...a muggle town right near here."

"Alright, well how was it? Did they go to school with us?" she persisted.

Hermione nodded.

"Hermione, who was it?" Ginny asked, growing frustrated with the wait.

"It was Malfoy." the words rushed off her tongue so quickly, Ginny barely had time to catch them.

The younger witch's eyes widened in shock. "Malfoy? Really?"

Hermione nodded again. "He's so different now, Ginny. In a good way. He erm...he runs a muggle book shop."

Ginny pondered all that Hermione had told her. "That doesn't sound like Malfoy, are you sure it was him?"

"I know what he looks like, Gin. It was him. We went out for a drink tonight and we talked about why we're both here. I don't know...it just threw me off. I never thought I'd see him in a place like this." Hermione confessed, feeling much more relieved she had gotten this off her chest.

"But that wasn't the weirdest part." Hermione spoke again after a moment of silence.

"Oh no?"

"He walked me out of town, to the woods. I told him I could apparate from there. And he asked me to send him an owl letting him know I got home safely." the older witch told her best friend.

"Hmmm," responded Ginny. "That is a bit odd."

"Exactly! I mean why does he care about my safety?" Hermione asked, hoping Ginny would be able to answer a question she had been asking herself since she departed from Draco earlier.

"Well, I mean, you said he's changed right? Maybe he adapted manners." she joked, nudging against Hermione.

Hermione sighed. Of course it seemed like the logical explanation but for whatever reason it didn't satisfy her. She still felt confused, but relieved that she had someone to talk it out with. It had been the right decision to invite Ginny over. Part of her was hoping it was something more than that, but that scared her.

"Thanks for coming here, Ginny. And I really am sorry for you know...leaving." Hermione mumbled, rising to her feet.

Ginny shook her head. "Hush. We're not talking about that anymore."

"Would you mind keeping all of this between just us? I'm not quite ready for anyone else to know where I am. That includes Harry, by the way." Hermione added for good measure.

"My lips are sealed. But tell them soon, will you? They're insufferable when they're worried." Ginny said with a smirk.

The two witches hugged and Hermione watched from her tiny front porch as Ginny walked past the wards and disappeared into thin air.

* * *

><p>Draco returned home to his small townhouse feeling oddly content and refreshed. The evening hadn't gone as horrible as he expected. Granger didn't spew her hatred at him and he got to have an entire conversation with just her. He was grateful for the chance to explain himself and he hoped this would change things.<p>

When he first chose to join 'The Enlightened', it had been to save his own arse. But then The Order had insisted he moved to a muggle town to keep himself safe. It was then that he was forced to learn about the muggle world and over the past month he had formed a hidden appreciation for muggles. Cooking was not as easy as it had looked, and cleaning took much longer without a wand to use. He had to start dedicating entire Saturdays to cleaning his home.

The company wasn't so bad either. He had ventured to the library a week or two after he moved in and found some of the subjects fascinating. The library provided the opportunity to meet other people, whom to his surprise were intelligent and competent. Not that he would admit to it, but there were some things they knew about that he didn't.

But slowly his reasons changed as he spent night after night alone. It was hard not to think about the muggleborn he had spent six years, well five really, bullying and teasing. He had insulted her heritage without knowing anything but stereotypes fed by his father. No one, not even Blaise or Theo, knew that he secretly had feelings for Hermione.

At first, he truly did dislike her. All he knew was that she was a muggleborn and therefore beneath him. Draco would sometimes over hear her stories about home and muggle life, and deep down it fascinated him. He learned to force down these desires, reminding himself his father would most certainly not approve. Her constant success and accomplishments started to make him question all that his father reiterated to him for years. She was always top of the class, she beat him in every test and held her ground in an argument. She was everything his father said muggleborns weren't. It was only an added bonus when her looks improved slightly over the years; growing into her buck teeth and her once mangled curls more tamed.

He would lay awake at night wondering if she had made it out of the war alive. If in some way, he would see her again. So he could prove to her he had changed. That he wasn't the same arrogant, close minded, prat he used to be.

By some miracle she was here. Not far from him. He was finally going to have his chance.

With that thought to comfort him, Draco dressed for bed and slipped beneath the covers. Draco fell asleep to the lull of crickets chirping and thoughts of Hermione dancing through his mind.

* * *

><p>AN: So new fic! Yay! This idea just kind of came to me one night and I went with it. I hope it's alright! I'm aiming to make each chapter about 12 pages, which is how long this chapter is. Let me know what you think of it by leaving a review please! Happy reading!

One more thing, sorry! I wanted to have this uploaded this past Saturday (1/3) but that obviously didn't happen. But just so you guys know, my desired schedule for this fic is: Snippet available on my blog on Wednesdays, Chapter upload on Saturdays.

P.S Just want to say a quick thank you to anyone and everyone who even just reads my works. I'm so lucky to receive the support and attention that I do! You are all fabulous, thank you so much.

Edit: A guest pointed out a mistake I made. Muggle town, magical drinks. So that's fixed. But just a friendly reminder to all that it's hard to perceive your intended tone over text, so please watch how you word your reviews because otherwise I think you're coming off as rude. Thank you!


	2. Bike Rides and Flowers

Chapter 2

_June 6th, 1998_

Hermione didn't return to town after her run in with Draco for four days. Part of her wanted to, but the more logical part of her told her it probably wasn't the best idea. After all, there was no reason to visit him. She had found out why he was here.

But a nagging voice in her brain wouldn't shut up about seeing him, and so on the fourth day, she caved. Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt this time, Hermione apparated to the edge of town and made her way to the cobblestone streets.

It was Sunday and the streets were much busier than they had been on Wednesday. Families laughed as they shopped while groups of friends wandered in and out of the tiny pub. The heat was more bearable today, with the sun hidden behind a few clouds.

Luckily for Hermione the book shop was empty as she approached. If she were going to set things straight with Malfoy, she didn't want any strangers around to hear.

A little bell tinkled over head as she stepped into the air conditioning. Draco looked up from the counter and had to refrain from smiling at the sight of her.

His hair was slightly tousled today and he was dressed in a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. His skin as pale as ever, reflecting in the sunlight that drifted through the front windows.

Hermione wiped away the thin line of sweat covering her forehead as she approached the counter.

"What a nice surprise, Granger." he greeted, standing up straight.

"Don't you get bored not having any customers?" she asked, looking around the barren shop.

He shrugged. "It's not so bad. I've only just opened. Business will pick up."

She nodded and let her eyes linger on a book display in the window. She could feel his stare on the back of her neck, causing a tingling sensation to travel down her spine. He shouldn't be affecting her like this. It was wrong.

Hermione turned back to face him. "Listen, Malfoy, about the other day...It was reassuring to know you've changed. And now that we both know why the other is here, I think we can leave it at that. So whatever ideas you had about us...they're not going to happen."

He stared at her blankly. "And what ideas did I have about us, Granger?"

She felt herself blush and hoped he didn't notice. "I just meant that if you thought after our talk that we were going to become friends or something...it's not going to happen."

The young wizard raised an eyebrow at the witch, his heart slinking slightly at her words. "So let me get this straight. You came all the way to town just to tell me we're not going to be friends?"

Hermione stood with her mouth open for a moment before clasping it shut again. "I, no. I needed to pick up some blueberries and I figured I would stop by and tell you this."

It wasn't a complete lie...she was running low on her stock of blueberries.

"When you could have just sent me an owl?" he asked with a smirk.

For the second time in a matter of two minutes, she was speechless. How did he do that so well? It wasn't often she was speechless. She thought about turning around right then and there and leaving when a memory from last night popped into her head.

"My owl came back not even an hour after I sent it to you last night." she said matter-of-factly. "Exactly how far do you live from town?"

Draco scoffed. "Seeing as we won't be friends, there's no reason for you to know."

"That's not fair! You know where I live...sort of!" she retorted.

He watched her in amusement then pondered for a moment. "I'll make you a deal." he said finally.

"No way." Hermione said, shaking her head. "I'm not making a deal with you."

She wasn't stupid.

"You haven't heard what it is yet." he stated.

She rolled her eyes, knowing he had a point. "Fine. What's this deal?"

His smile was so smug she wanted to smack it right off his face.

"Come have lunch with me today, and I'll tell you where I live." he offered, never taking those silver moon eyes off hers.

He watched as her expression changed from frustration to shock to confusion to annoyance. He felt the smugness fade as she clenched her fists and frowned at him.

"Turns out I don't need to know where you live that desperately after all." she hissed.

Hermione made to leave but in one swift movement, Draco had lunged half his body over the counter and gripped his hand tightly around her bicep.

"Granger, come on...it's just lunch." he pleaded.

Since when did Draco Malfoy plead? And to her?

She sighed. "Get your hand off of me, Malfoy." her tone was dangerous and sharp.

Malfoy let go immediately. A wounded expression adopted on his features, but it quickly changed to one of indifference.

"It's just not a good idea." she said, hoping he would understand.

Malfoy said nothing as she made to leave the book store. Her hand was on the knob when his voice called out to her.

"What do I have to do to prove to you I've changed?" he asked sincerely.

This was not a Draco she was used to and it unnerved her.

She cocked her head to the side and studied him. Lines creased his forehead while his eyes were wide with hope. The sunlight streaming in highlighted his jaw and cheekbones making him look sharp. For once he didn't look intimidating, instead he looked...soft. The longer she stared the more she started to think about giving in and just having lunch with him. There was no harm in lunch, right?

"You don't have to prove anything to me." she said finally, before thrusting open the door and leaving him staring after her in disbelief.

* * *

><p>Draco was angry and frustrated for the rest of the day. Maybe stopping her from leaving had been a horrible idea and he kicked himself for doing it. He told himself that whether he had done that or not, she still would have said no to lunch. It didn't make him feel any better.<p>

He had skipped lunch, as his encounter with Granger squashed his appetite. A bad decision in retrospect. Six o'clock had approached however and he decided to stop at the pub to pick up food before heading home. After counting out the till and cleaning up the shop, he locked the doors and headed out of the shop.

Draco stopped just outside his doors to double check he wasn't forgetting anything when he heard a voice beside him that caused him to nearly fall over.

"I changed my mind."

He turned to find who the voice belonged to and found Hermione leaning against the wall with a smirk on her face. The breeze was pushing her honey curls away from her tanned face. She certainly was attractive.

"What?"

"I changed my mind." she repeated.

Draco stood gaping at her, unsure of what to make of the situation. Was she really giving him another chance?

"I went home and I thought about it a lot. And...I may have been holding on to the old you. I know you said you've changed but I couldn't bring myself to believe it. So...prove to me you're different. And then we can talk about friendship." she ranted, practically out of breath by the time she finished.

"Are you hungry?" he asked with a smile.

"Starving."

Draco and Hermione made their way to the pub and found a table in the back, which was practically empty yet again. The fire radiated waves of warmth around them, fighting the cool breeze that had invaded outside. A blonde waitress took their order this time and had returned after fifteen minutes with their food and drink.

Both of them had eaten most of their dinner in silence. Unlike last time, this silence was more comfortable. Draco watched the fire dance across her soft features as she ate and Hermione stole glances at him between her dark lashes.

It was only when her plate was mostly empty and her beer half gone that Malfoy spoke.

"Granger." he said, gaining her attention.

"Hmmm?" she mused, washing down the last of her dinner.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened at Hogwarts...and at my parents' Manor." he said quietly, staring down at his plate.

Hermione stared at him, in disbelief of what she had just heard. He looked solemn and apologetic, throwing her completely off guard.

"You don't have to apologize for what happened at the Manor." she replied, dabbing her lips with her napkin.

He looked up at her from beneath his lashes with a look of confusion upon his face.

"I could have stopped them." he muttered, leaning in towards her.

Up close, she could see the dark circles that encompassed his eyes. His skin however, remained perfect. Unblemished and smooth like silk. A brief desire to run her fingers across his cheek struck her but she quickly pushed it away and refocused to their conversation.

"No, you couldn't have. Not without risking your life. But I do accept your apology." she said sincerely.

She watched as he gulped down the rest of his whiskey and called for another. This was the most at ease and sincere she had ever seen him. A blush spread to her cheeks and a pleasant warmth spread throughout her body. This was definitely a nice change from the Draco Malfoy she knew just a month ago.

"I was a git." he said dully, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

"An arrogant git." Hermione corrected.

She smiled playfully at him until his own lips mirrored hers. Their waitress brought another beer for Hermione, interrupting their little moment. They both cleared their throats and turned their gaze to the window. An awkward moment of silence followed at Hermione sipped her fresh beer. She was starting to feel slightly light-headed and thought about ending the evening when Draco spoke.

"How have you been? With the war and everything that happened...I know your side lost a lot of people." he asked, twiddling his fingers as a distraction from staring at her.

The young witch sighed and contemplated how to answer his question.

"The peace and solitude has been doing its job. I get a little lonely sometimes, but I can heal at my own pace. I think Tonks' death took the biggest toll on me." she admitted, her brows furrowing in thought.

"Tonks died?" Draco asked.

"Oh! Tonks was your cousin...I forgot." Hermione recalled, casting him an apologetic glance.

Draco rubbed his hands over his face, rubbing his eyes in the process. He cleared his throat and looked up at her. She was watching him with curiosity. His heart was pounding slightly at the news. Tonks had always been decent towards him and he had been nothing but a prat.

"She was like a big sister to me." she noted with a sad smile. "Poor Teddy, though. He lost both of his parents."

He looked up in shock. "Lupin died too?"

Hermione nodded slowly.

A low, guttural growl escaped his throat and he pounded his fists on the table. Hermione jumped at his reaction, looking slightly alarmed.

"I should have stayed." he said to himself.

A pang of sympathy coursed through her. He was really beating himself up over this...

"Draco," Hermione began, but gasped when she realized she had just addressed him by his first name.

Malfoy stared at her in disbelief, secretly loving the way his name sounded on her tongue.

"You can't stay stuck in the past, beating yourself up over what ifs and should haves. You'll only drive yourself crazy. Besides, if I remained in the past, I wouldn't be sitting here with you. And I most definitely wouldn't have called you by your first name." she joked.

Draco just shook his head. Hermione reached out to and placed her hand on his, but quickly withdrew when she realized what she was doing.

"If you had stayed...it doesn't mean you could have stopped it." she reassured him.

Malfoy nodded at her words, knowing she was right. But it didn't lessen the guilt that was currently coursing through his veins. So many if's...and there was no going back. It was too late, far too late. He had made his decision and now he had to live with it.

"Can I ask you something?" Draco asked.

"Of course." she replied, unsure of where he was going with this.

"Why did you change your mind?" he asked, fidgeting in his sit.

Hermione sighed and leaned forward, her arms resting on the table. She stared down at her half empty beer bottle.

"Because even though you've made wrong choices in the past, you've also made right choices. You're trying to change for the better. That says a lot to me." she said honestly.

"Besides, if the Order decided to give you a second chance...then maybe it's not so crazy if I do." Hermione added.

He took a sip of his whiskey, seeming satisfied with her answer.

"My shop is closed on Mondays. Would you like to do something tomorrow?" he asked, hoping his request wasn't too far fetched.

Hermione thought about saying no. There was no chance for her to make an excuse. Draco knew none of her friends knew she was here. She cursed herself for telling him that. If she turned him down, all she would do is spend the day at her cabin and read or sit on the cliff, like always. That had been her routine for the past month.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked, hoping she wouldn't regret this decision.

* * *

><p><em>June 7th, 1998<em>

Draco woke early the next morning; the sun had barely risen and the birds had just started their morning carols. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead and his heart was pounding. His lungs were gasping for air as he sat up, reaching for the glass of water that sat on his bedside table.

_Succeed, Draco...and your family lives_

_Fail...and all three of you die_

The words of Voldemort had been haunting him since the night he had been assigned the task of assassinating Dumbledore. He couldn't remember the last time he woke without having a nightmare.

Nightmares of his mother's screams as she was murdered. Nightmares of his parents having to watch him die and vice versa. Voldemort's cold, drawling voice in every single one of them. The psychopath had been dead for over a month and he was still haunted by his voice. Scenarios that would never happen now, yet continued to haunt him. Almost as if reminding him what could have been.

After allowing his heart rate to return to normal, Malfoy ripped back the covers and headed to the bathroom. He started the shower and stripped off his sweat stained pajamas. He stopped to look in the mirror and took notice to the dark circles underneath his eyes. His skin had taken on a slightly pinkish tint now that summer had arrived. Taking a few more minutes to examine his appearance, Draco finally climbed into the shower. The cold stream of water ran off his porcelain skin and he allowed himself to close his eyes. A cold shower always chased away his nightmares.

He took his time washing his hair and body, paying attention to the tense muscles in his thighs. His skin was covered in goose bumps by now. Draco shut off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stopped to brush his teeth before entering his bedroom to get dressed.

The clock read six-thirty and Draco groaned. He wasn't meeting Granger until eleven. Sighing in resignation, he headed to the kitchen to fix himself breakfast, and decided he would pop by St. Mungo's for a little bit.

* * *

><p>Hermione sat in her kitchen with a bowl of cereal and book propped up in front of her. It was only eight o'clock in the morning, and she had three hours to calm her nerves about today. Draco hadn't told her specifically what it was they were going to be doing today and she wasn't particularly fond of surprises. You can't plan for surprises! But he did tell her to wear sneakers and to bring sunblock.<p>

At least Draco kept his end of their deal and had revealed his address to her last night before they departed, But she had a feeling he would have left it unsaid if she hadn't reminded him that not only did he promise to tell her, but she needed to know if she was going to meet him at his house later today.

Hermione finished her cereal and closed the book, accepting she was too anxious to read. She thought about sitting outside or talking a walk in the woods, but neither sounded very appealing. But then a new thought popped into her head. It was illogical, especially for her, and she didn't even know why she wanted to do this. Before she even had a chance to triple doubt herself, she raced to the shower, threw on clean clothes, made sure she was wearing her sneakers and bolted out the front door.

* * *

><p>The clock read nine o'clock when Draco heard a knock at his front door. Curious as to who it could be, he quickly made his way to answer. None of his neighbors knew him very well, and he always kept his distance from them. But to his surprise, Hermione stood on his front step, smiling shyly.<p>

"I know I'm two hours early, but-" she started, looking flushed despite the humidity.

"Do you want to go get breakfast?" he blurted out.

"Oh, erm I actually already had breakfast..." she said, taking notice to the sweatpants hung loosely on his hips and his lack of a shirt. Had he always been that muscular?

"How about coffee then?" he revised.

"Sure." she said, smiling broadly.

"Come in and sit down if you'd like. I'm just going to change real quick." Draco said as he stepped back, giving her room to step over the treshold.

The air conditioning was icy against her skin, goosebumps spreading over her body. Draco's townhome was covered in light greys, blacks and emerald green. She smiled to herself. Slytherin colors, how did she not suspect that? Hermione took claim to a spot on the leather couch and looked around the living room. It was oddly bare and extremely neat. She didn't want to touch anything for fear of breaking it or getting it dirty. No pictures lined the walls, no books on coffee tables or blankets on the back of the couch.

"Alright, I'm ready." Draco announced as he reappeared in the living room; clad in a crisp black t-shirt and shorts, something Hermione had never seen him in.

She let out a stifled laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What's so funny, Granger?" he asked, adapting a scowl.

"Nothing, it's just...I've never seen you in shorts before. I don't know why that made me laugh. I'm sorry." she giggled, biting her lip as if this would stop her lips from spreading into a smile.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Hilarious. Let's go then."

* * *

><p>The comfy coffee shop was pretty much empty that Monday morning, as everyone was at work. So Hermione and Draco took a seat by the front window and waited for a waiter to take their order.<p>

A young man around their age approached their table with a bright smile and twinkling blue eyes.

"Good morning! What can I get you two today?"

"A coffee please, cream on the side." Hermione ordered.

"The same." Draco said dryly, eyeing the waiter as he stared at Hermione.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. They took their coffee the same way?

The waiter nodded, offered a smile to Hermione and left.

"I don't like the way that waiter was looking at you." Draco commented, craning his neck to cast a nasty glare at the waiter.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You sound like Ron."

Malfoy's features grew dark and serious. "Don't compare me to him. I am not Weasley."

"Whatever you say, Malfoy. And by the way, I can take care of myself. No need to get protective." she said airily as she scanned the menu.

Draco watched her intently. Her hair drawn back from her face in french braid today, while her skin practically glowed. Her long legs tanned and lean in the shorts she was wearing. He didn't quite know where the urge to protect her came from, but it just felt...right. She wasn't even close to being his. They were just beginning to be friends. But he definitely did not like the way their waiter had been looking at her.

"There we go, you two. Two coffees, cream on the side. Enjoy. And let me know if you need anything else." he added, glancing at Hermione again.

She hadn't seemed to notice. Instead she became interested in her coffee and began adding two cups of creamer. Draco waited until the young man had left before adding sugar and creamer.

"So is the Weasel still in love with you?" Draco asked, trying to sound casual.

Hermione shot him a reproachful look.

"Don't call him that." she snapped. "But yes, he still has feelings for me. He knows how I feel about him, though. Now it's his responsibility to move on from those feelings."

Malfoy said nothing at this revelation. At least he didn't have to worry about Hermione running back into Ron's arms once she decided to leave.

The two sipped their coffee in comfortable silence, occasionally talking about his book shop and what Hermione did to pass the days at her secluded cabin.

"And there's this beautiful view of the ocean if you sit on the edge of the cliff." she said dreamily, remembering the countless sunrises she had watched when sleep escaped her.

Draco smiled at her. He loved the way she looked when she talked about something that excited her. Her eyes twinkled with wonder and her cheeks flushed with excitement as she talked a million miles a minute. He managed to catch every word. Malfoy then found himself fantasizing sitting on that cliff with her, watching the sunset and listening to the waves crash below them.

"Draco!" she said sternly, snapping her fingers to grab his attention.

Damn her for pulling him out of his daydream.

"Am I that boring?" she asked, looking slightly offended.

"No, no. Sorry. I just didn't get proper sleep last night." he said absent-mindedly, trying to return to his daydream.

"Perhaps we should reschedule for another day?" she proposed, now sounding concerned.

But Draco shook his head. "I haven't gotten proper sleep in ages. Are you finished your coffee?"

She nodded, unconvinced.

"Let's go then. We need to stop back at my place first." he said, rising from the table and throwing down the money for their bill.

Hermione stared after him, realizing she was slightly worried about him. And she wondered if that should worry her.

* * *

><p>Malfoy pulled out two bicycles from his back shed and handed one over to Hermione.<p>

"I'm surprised you know how to ride one." she commented, looking thoroughly amused.

He shrugged. "I wasn't too keen on it at first, but it gets me to work quicker than walking. Comes in handy if I'm running lately one morning."

"And how often does that happen?" she joked, mounting her bike.

He shot her a look that said 'too often' as they rode out onto the street. It was then she noticed that Draco had a bag strapped to his back and she shot him a perplexed look as they pedaled next to each other.

"What's that for?" she inquired.

Malfoy smirked. "You'll find out later."

Hermione thought about asking where they were going, but found that she didn't particularly care at the moment. Though it was humid, there was the typical breeze that cooled the sweat as it secreted from their skin. Wisps of hair that escaped her braid were now stuck on her forehead. Her leg muscles were beginning to burn as they headed out of town and towards woods, with wide set smooth trails.

Draco would glance over at her every few minutes and admire the concentrated look that had fell upon her face. They had been riding for at least half an hour now and it was at this point that he noticed she was beginning to pant.

"We've only got another five minutes. Then we can stop." he shouted.

Under the tops of the trees, the temperature was cooler. A creek was trickling somewhere near by, and yellow flowers seemed to be everywhere. Hermione was thankful for the smooth dirt path, she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle fallen tree branches and rocks.

"It's just after this bend." she heard Draco say beside her.

Hermione nodded in response.

Around the bend, Hermione couldn't help but come to a complete spot. There was a small lake in the middle of these woods, with a willow tree sitting on its bank. Yellow, purple and pink flowers surrounded them in the large opening. The lake flowed into the creek Hermione had heard, with rocks large enough to sit on planted in the middle of the running stream. The entire scene was enough to take her breath away for a moment.

"This is...beautiful." she said softly, leaning the bicycle against a nearby tree.

Draco smiled in satisfaction.

"I come here on Monday's, since my shop is closed. It's a nice place to just...clear my mind. Get away from people." he said, unpacking the bag he had brought with.

Hermione walked around, breathing in the crisp, fresh air. She kicked off her shoes and sat down on the bank of the lake. The water was cool and refreshing against her bare feet and she laid her torso back against the ground.

Draco was about to call her over, but he stopped himself when he noticed what she was doing. Her eyes were closed to keep out the few beams of sunlight fighting their way between tree leaves and her legs were moving in slow kicking motions. He glanced back at the blanket and food he had set up, and decided it could wait.

He took his time walking over to where she lay, being sure not to disturb her. Quietly, he kicked off his shoes and positioned himself to mirror her. Their elbows touched slightly, but if she noticed she gave no sign. Malfoy closed his eyes and started to drift off to sleep when he felt something collide with his foot.

"Godric, Malfoy! You scared me!" the witch laying next to him yelped as she sat upright, retracting her feet from the lake.

He bolted up, adopting a sheepish expression. He didn't have time to apologize before she continued scolding him.

"Hasn't anyone ever taught you not to sneak up on people like that? Honestly, what were you thinking?" she reprimanded.

"Calm down, Granger. I'm sorry, alright? Now how about some lunch?" he asked, gesturing to the picnic set up behind them.

Hermione stood with her hands on her hips, mouth hanging open. Draco did this? Oh no...oh no no no. Was he getting the wrong impression about them?

"Malfoy...you know that this isn't a...a date, right?" she asked cautiously.

To her surprise, Draco rolled his eyes. "You might find this hard to believe but I do pay attention when you speak. You said we could give this friendship thing a chance. Now last I checked, two friends having a picnic is not automatically a date."

He was being a bit more sarcastic today and she wondered if it had to do with his lack of sleep the night before.

"Right, of course. I just didn't want you getting the wrong impression." she mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed now.

"Just sit down and eat, Granger. And make sure you hydrate. I don't need you fainting from dehydration on the ride back." he instructed, earning him a stern glare from Hermione.

"I know how to take care of myself, I thought we went over this during coffee?" she reminded him as politely as she could.

Draco bit his tongue, knowing he had to pick and choose his battles. He had brought her to his favorite place, and he wasn't going to spend their time here arguing. He'd rather forfeit a Quidditch match before he'd let that happen. Not that he would tell her, or anyone for that matter, that.

Instead he pulled out a carton of blueberries and laid them down in front of her. She stared at him quizzically, but all the same delighted. Draco shrugged before she could say anything.

"You said yesterday you were picking up more blueberries, so I took that to mean you like them." he said simply.

Hermione cocked her head and gave him an appreciative look. "Thanks, Malfoy."

He smiled but said nothing. Draco waited until she had filled her plate with food (mostly consisting of blueberries) before he filled his own plate. He nibbled on his sandwich while she popped blueberry after blueberry into her mouth. He tried hard not to watch her, but found himself wondering what her lips felt like...wanting to kiss her blueberry stained lips.

It was this thought that completely alarmed him. Yes, he was happy to see her the first day she showed up at his shop. He had been wanting to apologize for their rocky past for a few weeks now and he had had the chance to do so. Yes, he was aware that she was attractive. That he found her attractive. But he hadn't expected wanting to do something about it...

Thankfully, Hermione didn't notice the blank look on his face as he lost himself to his thoughts. Instead she was admiring the birds singing near by, complimenting the trickling water. This place really was beautiful and she felt that she owed Draco for showing her such a place. He had brought her to his favorite place, he wanted to share that with her. An unfamiliar warmth ignited in her heart, spreading to her whole body.

"Draco?" she cooed, putting down her sandwich and turning to face him.

His head snapped up at the use of his name. She thought she saw a flicker of confusion and something she couldn't recognize but he quickly reverted back to his usual smirk.

"What is it Granger?" he asked, grabbing an apple and biting into it.

She took a deep breath and looked around once more. The lake...the willow tree...the flowers...all of it...so beautiful, so peaceful, so relaxing. Finally she turned her gaze back to him. Honey eyes on silver grey. Her features full of gratitude, his of confusion.

"Thank you for bringing me here today. This is exactly what I needed." she sighed, feeling lighter than she had since she first arrived at her cabin.

He smiled in return. It was then that he realized she didn't feel the same about him. She really thought they were becoming friends...and of course they were. He wanted to be her friend too...but he also wanted more than that. He was unsure how he felt about that, but at the moment, this realization hurt. A dull ache residing in his pounding heart. But...he had managed to make her smile today, more than once. And she was happy, right now, in this very moment. Because of him. That thought alone subdued that ache in his heart and gave him the strength to return her smile and say,

"Any time, Granger."

* * *

><p>AN: Aaaand that wraps up chapter 2! Just a few things I want to clear up.

Firstly, I know my update schedule for this fic is Saturday's for chapters. But I'm behind on New Life so I wanted to upload this and not have to worry about it until next Wednesday when I post a new snippet. So while you guys got this chapter early, you won't be getting chapter 3 until next Saturday. Sorry about that.

Secondly, I'm aware that some people might think Draco and Hermione are moving too fast/developing feelings to quickly, but trust me when I say this will not be a smooth ride for the two of them!

I think that's it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you *so* much for the attention the first chapter received! It made me super happy! Leave a review if you'd like!

Happy reading!


	3. Beach Trip

Chapter 3

_June 20th, 1998_

Hermione was different today. Blame it on the pouring rain and dark clouds or the expected waves of what ifs and guilt that seem to be a never-fading side effect of war. She had been fidgety and hadn't paid attention to a single thing he said all morning.

Ever since the day of their bike ride and picnic, they had spent increasingly more time together. She had insisted she owed it to him to show him her favorite place, and _he _had insisted she needn't worry. So instead they had formed a silent agreement. She would come to the shop late morning and sit with him through lunch, and every Friday and Saturday they would go to the pub for dinner. Each Monday they did something different. Last Monday they had eaten at the ice cream shop here in town and then ventured to the library to explore their favorite books, reading passages to one another.

Today was Sunday and here she sat in his empty shop, staring at the counter with her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip. He couldn't stop staring at her lips. Part of him wanted to kiss her just to stop her from splitting open her swollen lip. With the humidity at a new high, her hair was the frizziest he had ever seen it.

"Granger, stop biting your lip." he said huskily, watching an elder woman rushing by with an umbrella covering her tiny form.

She looked up at the sound of his voice. "Huh? Oh. Sorry."

But she went right back to chewing it. Draco sighed, picked up a book, and slammed in the counter. Hermione jumped, causing her to nearly fall of the stool.

"Draco! What the hell!" she yelled, her eyes growing teary.

She wasn't usually this fragile and he had no idea how to handle it. He felt his heart pounding in his chest as he gazed on at her, alarmed. She had sat back down with a scrape of her stool, and rested her head in her hands. The slight shake of her shoulders gave away her hidden crying.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you today? I may be a wizard but I'm not a mind reader." he remarked, trying to keep a comical tone.

She shook her head and let out an inaudible sob. He waited for her breathing to slow but instead the sobs grew more intense. He felt something in his heart crumbling as he watched her break down right in front of him. This was all new to him. Hermione was always strong, collected and he had a feeling that when she did cry, it was done in secret. If she wasn't going to stop any time soon, he'd at least let her have the decency of privacy. With a inconspicuous flick of his wand, the shades of the shop's front windows fell, shadowing the store in darkness. The only light coming from cracks of lightning.

"Did something happen?" he asked, attempting yet again to get an answer out of her.

But again, Hermione shook her head. Draco growled and immediately regretted it when the distraught witch glared at him with her red-rimmed eyes.

"If this is too frustrating for you to handle Malfoy, you can just leave me alone." he winced at the harshness of her tone when she spat his last name.

Draco pursed his lips and glowered at her. She was the most frustrating witch, even more so when she was upset.

"Granger, bloody hell, just tell me what's wrong!" he nearly shouted, regretting his actions as she recoiled at his tone.

With a shaky breath, she finally spoke. "People I knew died just over a month ago. And here I am, having fun and being happy. It's been over two weeks since I last thought about any of them! Tonks, Remus, Fred...What kind of person am I?"

Seeing her like this was uncharted territory. He had a feeling that if he could muster the stomach to have a civil conversation with Potter or Weasley, they would tell him even they've never seen her like this. She wasn't one to be self-deprecating, let alone break down like this in front of anyone.

Feeling out of his element, he awkwardly placed an arm around her shoulders. Her body was stiff at his touch but it took only a few seconds before she leaned against his chest. Her teaks soaking his dress shirt while her shoulders shook. She said nothing as he frowned down at her. This is what war did to the survivors. It takes your loved ones and leaves you with a heavy weight of guilt. At first you can't forget those who were taken. They're in your nightmares, their death replays every time you close your eyes...they're everywhere at first.

But over time, they start to fade. Suddenly you can walk down the street and not see them in a single face as you walk down the street. Your nightmares aren't always haunted by their ghosts. The guilt only becomes heavier. How can you forget about those you once cherished?

"Granger, this is normal." Malfoy said soothingly.

Her head twisted around so she could see his face, a look of disgust upon her features. "Molly and Arthur lost their son. Ginny and Ron and the others lost a brother, George a twin. Andromeda lost a daughter. A son-in-law. The Order lost two friends. I bet none of them have started to forget them yet." she hissed through gritted teeth.

"You can't be mad at yourself because you're healing quicker than they are." he told her firmly.

At his words, her chestnut eyes widened in a mix of horror and shock. His brows furrowed in confusion. Her eyes searched his features; the silver eyes she had seen almost every day for the past two weeks, the freckle she had found that sat right after the left corner of his mouth, the slight creases in his forehead.

"It's you." she breathed.

"What?" he asked, completely thrown off.

"Ever since we started spending time together...I've thought about my friends less and less. I'm forgetting them...because of you." she murmured.

Draco stared at her in bewilderment. "Have you gone mad?"

"I have to get out of here." she said more to herself than to him.

She shoved him away from her, gathered her bag and ran out into the pouring rain before her words had caught up with him. He watched her small form disappear as she rushed down the street, until she became a black blob in a sheet of grey.

* * *

><p>Hermione's lungs were on fire as her feet pounded against the damp earth. Her honey curls plastered to her neck, her clothes completely stuck to her skin. She was racing through the woods, dodging trees and ducking under branches. She hadn't wanted to stop running in case Draco had followed behind her, not that she dared turn around the check. She needed to stop soon, the stich in her side was growing larger by the second.<p>

A large oak tree was approaching, she could hide behind there and apparate. Slowing down, she leaned against the wet bark, her chest heaving. Hermione peered around the tree to see if Draco had been following her, but to her disappointment, she couldn't see past the few trees in front of her. The rain was coming down hard now, creating a thick sheet of grey droplets. If he had been following her, she wouldn't be able to see him. She clenched her eyes shut as the burning in her lungs resided. Once she had completely caught her breath, she focused her thoughts on her cabin and spun on the spot.

Her cabin was dark and cozy, protected from the storm. Using her wand for light, she went around and lit candles. She glanced around her cabin and noticed she had been lacking in her housekeeping since she had started seeing Malfoy more. With a heavy sigh, she began picking up the stray clothes and bits of trash that were laying around.

With all of the dishes in the sink, the clothes in her laundry basket and all of the trash picked up, Hermione decided it was time for a bath. Another roar of thunder tumbled across the dark clouds as she ran the water and stripped off her wet clothes. Her heart felt as heavy as her clothes.

When the bath was ready, she climbed in, allowing the warmth to wash over her. She titled her head to rest against the edge of the bath tub and allowed herself to close her eyes.

She should have known that being friends with Malfoy was a bad idea. She had become careless. Her cabin had become a mess and her friends had begun to fade from her thoughts. Of course she didn't expect to dwell on their deaths forever, but it felt wrong to forget about them this quickly. Fred was so young...had his whole life ahead of him. George was no alone in running the business. Tonks and Remus had just lost a life with their first and only child. There was no opportunity to make memories. They wouldn't see him go off to Hogwarts. And Colin Creevey, no longer the first year they once knew, but still too young to be lost to war.

None of it was fair. People had lives to live and now they were just...gone.

Yet here she was, alive, and having fun. She was making memories...memories that she thought about every night before she fell asleep in the comfort of her bed. Bike riding with Malfoy...sitting in his shop on a Tuesday eating sandwiches...countless beers by firelight. It was those memories that kept her heart pumping and the blood running through her veins. She now had memories that didn't cause her crippling heart ache. But it was wrong. It was all wrong. She was healing too fast, forgetting those dear to her too soon.

She felt slightly guilty for running out on Draco like that, but she needed to get away. She needed time to herself, that's what she had come here for after all. With her mind made up, Hermione climbed out of the tub, free of dirt and rain and wrapped her robe around her naked body.

The storm was still raging. Lightning illuminated the small rooms of the cabin, causing Hermione to shutter. She wasn't very fond of storms. She made her way around the cabin and drew the curtains closed. After that, she decided it was time for a cup of tea and a good book to soothe her.

* * *

><p><em>June 21st, 1998 <em>

The storm had faded around three am. Despite that, Hermione hadn't slept a single second. Reading had taken her mind off of everything for a few hours, but by early evening, her thoughts had returned to the war.

She had attempted to clean her cabin but found that apart from her clutter, there wasn't much to clean. So instead, she had sat down and done something she had wanted to do since the moment she left her friends behind.

Hermione had written a letter to Harry, Ron, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. She had written four lengthy letters of apologies; for running off without telling anyone (though really Harry and Ron couldn't that mad, as they had done exactly that in the middle of the summer after their sixth year), for not being there for any of them, and for wanting to maintain her privacy for a little while longer.

After that, she had merely sat her kitchen table, drinking cup after cup of tea. She had given up on trying not to think about the war. All of the nights spent in a tent hidden by wards, and hearing the names of causalities over the radio. Losing Mad-Eye the night they had brought Harry to the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley jumping in to save Ginny from Bellatrix, effectively killing the latter. Saving Lavender from Greyback. And all the while, hearing screams of those in agony, dodging spells as she ran with Harry and Ron at her side.

Now the sun was rising and Hermione sat at the cliff edge, her legs clutched to her chest. The water was calm, though a bit higher after the storm. A cool wind flowed in from the coast, and Hermione wished she had grabbed her jumper before coming out here. Birds called to each other somewhere in the distance, flying into the rising sun. The sky painted with hues of purple and pink, melting into one another. Normally Hermione would be in awe of the view, but this morning she barely noticed it.

Her tear ducts were dried out, the tear stains on her cheeks not yet faded. Her hair damp with sea salt and a lump caught in her throat. The breeze washed over her again and she shivered. She was about to cast a warming charm, when a jumper fell onto her shoulders, followed by a shadow appearing in front of her.

Hermione whipped her head around to find Draco standing behind her, looking solemn. Truthfully she had expected him to be angry when she finally worked up the nerve to see him again.

"It's chilly out here." he commented, plopping down on the grass next to her.

She didn't say word in response, instead she just stared straight ahead. She was furious with him. He had followed her last night.

"You followed me after I ran out yesterday." she stated, her voice beginning to shake with anger.

"Partially. I lost you after the first twenty minutes you started running. But I do remember you saying you lived in a cabin...so I searched the woods until I found it." he confessed.

Inconspicuously she drew his jumper closer to her body.

"And when exactly was that?" she snapped.

"Just now." he said calmly, turning to look at her.

"You look like shit." he noted.

"So do you." Hermione shot back angrily.

Draco shrugged. "Predictable after walking around in the rain for hours on end."

"Would you like to come inside?" she asked, unsure of why she was doing so.

* * *

><p>Hermione sat across from Draco at her kitchen table, each one clutching a cup of tea. She had allowed him to shower while she scourgified his clothes and dried them. Now they sat in silence, as the sun continued to rise in the sky.<p>

"I suppose...you were right." she sighed, keeping her focus on her tea.

She expected him to gloat, to make a big deal of her admitting someone other than her was right. But she was relieved when he did neither of those things.

"Granger, it's not as if you don't still miss them." he said hoarsely, beginning to feel the effects of his lack of sleep.

Hermione nodded. "I know...I do know that. I just...I don't know what came over me yesterday. It was so unlike me."

Malfoy shrugged. "War changes people."

With pursed lips, Hermione sipped her tea. The truth of his words sinking in. "Indeed it does."

Another moment of silence fell over them, while Draco stifled a yawn. They both sat staring at the steam rising off of their tea cups. His eyelids were drooping and he wanted nothing more than to lay down for a nap. The warm tea in his stomach didn't help matters.

"I think you should go." Hermione mumbled, glancing up at him between her lashes.

His face hardened at her words. But he was too tired to fight with her.

"I know I said you were right but...I still want some time alone." she told him, hoping he would understand.

She needed him to understand.

All he did was nod as his chair scraped against the wooden floor. The anger was boiling inside of him, but he had no energy. They would argue about this another time.

"You know where to find me." he sighed before slamming the cabin door behind him.

Hermione flinched at the sound and felt a tear slip down her cheek. Part of her hated herself for pushing him away. He was the only she had out here. The only distraction to keep her sanity in check. Books only worked for a little while, and you can only be memorized by the sea's beauty for so long before your thoughts take over again. But Draco...Draco was real. He was captivating and intelligent and witty and _real. _

Yet at the same time, she needed to stay away from him. She wasn't going to allow herself to forget her friends just yet. She needed to keep their memory alive for as long as she could.

Hermione was about to clean up the half-empty tea cups when the door burst open. Draco stood beneath the frame, his eyes boring into hers, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Draco?" she muttered.

"I'm not letting you do this to yourself, Granger. I'm not going to let you wallow in sadness and grief for who bloody knows how long!" he raged.

Screw being tired. They were going to argue about this now.

"That's not your decision!" she yelled.

With quick strides he closed the distance between them, their faces now mere centimeters apart. She could feel his breath tickle her nose. His eyes a stormy grey as he glared at her.

"You're not doing what's good for you! You know that! Tell me you know that. Tell me that you know locking yourself up and depriving yourself of something that makes you happy is the best decision. Tell me that and I'll leave." he said between heavy breaths, slamming his hand down on the table.

Tears were swimming in her eyes. She knew it wasn't the best decision for her but...And then it dawned on her. There was no but. There was no one pointing a wand to her head forbidding her from being happy. There was no one scolding her for beginning to heal. No one but her. Maybe it was true what people say...you really are your own worst enemy.

Her silence was her answer.

Draco nodded, feeling the anger simmer.

"Good. Now I trust you own a bathing suit?" he asked, peaking her curiosity.

* * *

><p>Late morning and packed with towels, sun block, lunch and plenty of water, Draco followed Hermione as she searched the beach for the perfect spot. The humidity was high and the sky was clear. Hermione was clad in a blood red two piece shielded by an almost transparent cover up, while Draco wore his swimming trunks and a plain black t-shirt, a poor choice in hindsight.<p>

The sun bore down on them as they trekked across the hot sand.

"Granger, I'm sure any spot you pick will be just fine." he called, with her being a few feet in front of him.

"Not yet! I want something with shade. There's a tree just up there." she yelled back over her shoulder.

Malfoy groaned. The tree wasn't too far but it was hot and he just wanted to set up their belonging so he could get in the water. He watched as she skipped ahead, closing the short distance between sun and shade. He smiled to himself as she whirled around, beaming at him. At least she was in a better mood.

"You walk slowly." she amused. "And your legs are longer than mine."

He rolled his eyes at her while setting down the towels and picnic basket. She helped him unpack; laying out their respectable towels and setting up the blanket and picnic basket. Hermione sat down on her towel and began applying sunblock to her exposed skin. Draco looked away, but found himself peeking out the corner of his eyes as she rubbed the lotion into her thigh.

Before he let his imagination get the best of him, Draco ripped off his shirt and began applying sun block into his own skin.

Hermione happened to glance up and felt her breath hitch as his back muscles flexed with every fluid movement of his arms. She quickly looked away, hoping he hadn't seen her looking.

Tossing the sun block onto his towel, Draco began jogging towards the ocean. He turned his head to see if Granger was following him and he halted when she wasn't.

"Aren't you coming?" he shouted.

Hermione looked around nervously before shaking her head. "No. You go ahead. I'm fine here."

"Granger, come on." he prodded. "I'm sure the water's warm."

"No, no it's not that. You go ahead. Really." she insisted, hugging herself.

Draco studied her for a few brief moments before smirking. "You're afraid of the ocean."

"I am not!" she said defensively.

"Are too." he teased. His silver eyes scanned over her as she glared at him.

"So what if I am? Everyone's afraid of something, you know." she said coolly.

"I'm aware of that. But come on. I'll stay close and keep an eye on you." he insisted.

She shot him a curious glance. She knew that they had become friends, but he was much more...caring than he first seemed.

"Alright fine. Just can you...turn away while I take off my cover up?" she requested apprehensively.

Malfoy rolled his eyes and did as he was asked.

"Okay, I'm ready." he heard her say from behind him.

She moved to stand next to him before they started walking towards the water together. Draco glanced out of the corners of his eyes again, fighting to keep his breathing normal. Her skin had tanned early this summer, glowing in the sunlight. The blood red suit complimented her mass of chestnut curls. She looked absolutely radiant in this moment. He felt her arm brush against his, making his skin tingle. He wondered if she felt the same thing.

The sand only got cooler under their feet as they grew closer to the tide. He felt Hermione's body stiffen next to him as they stared out at glistening, open water. Draco walked in a few paces before turning around to her and holding out his hand.

"Come on." he insisted.

Hermione stepped forward, folding her arms into her chest. She looked down, concentrated with every step. Once in reach, she cautiously reached out and grasped his hand. His grip was firm and reassuring. He always seemed to be what she needed.

Slowly, the pair waded in the luke warm water. The water was now to their knees and Draco felt a tug on his hand.

"Draco stop." she demanded.

Knowing he needed her to trust him, he complied. She looked down at the water, unable to see her feet. He said nothing as she studied the salty water.

"Come on, Granger. Let's keep going." he said softly, gently pulling her forward.

She moved slowly, all the while staring down at the water. Watching it rise millimeter by millimeter. She felt the panic rise inside her as the water reached her thighs.

"Can you stop here please?" the panic in her voice obvious.

Draco stopped again. He stood but a mere few inches away from her. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and gave her a small smile.

"I'm not going to let anything happen." he promised, sounding so sincere it made her heart flutter.

She trusted him. No doubt. She wondered when that had happened.

"Okay, let's go."

They continued to walk forward, the water climbing towards their stomach. He was surprised when she didn't stop him this time. He even slowed down expectantly, but there was no tugging of his head. So they waded on. They had only stopped when the water reached their chest and they now had to use their feet to tread water, as they could no longer stand.

"You alright?" he asked.

Hermione nodded in response. She was still gripping his hand.

"Can I let go?" he asked.

She shot him a nervous glance before he spoke again. "I'll stay near by."

Unsure of the idea, Hermione let go of his hand, now using her arms to help keep her afloat. The water felt nice against the heat of the hot sun, and even though she probably wouldn't admit it, she was glad she had joined him in the water.

As time passed, Hermione grew more comfortable in the water. She and Draco had several swimming races to see who was faster; no surprise that he was, as she had a fear of the water. Her losses resulted in many splashing wars between the two.

"I got salt in my nose from that one Granger!" he shouted over the sound of her hands slapping aginst the water.

Hermione cackled in delight. Malfoy grinned determinedly and swam towards her; only taking a few strokes to close the distance. His arms gathered around her slim frame and scooped her into his arms.

"What are you doing!" she shrieked, laughing carelessly.

Her arms snaked around his neck as he spun her around, her feet gliding against the water. Her laughter and shrieks only growing louder as he spun faster and faster.

"Okay! Okay! Draco stop, you're making me dizzy!" she yelled abruptly.

He stopped immediately, placing her back down in the water. His arms holding her close, allowing her to regain her balance. Both their chests were heaving. Hermione glanced up at him, and he stared back down at her. His lips started to twist into a smirk when she pushed herself away from him.

"I'm getting hungry." she said, hugging herself.

Draco nodded, his features stiff.

"Let's go eat then."

* * *

><p>The pair sat with towels draped around them, seated on the blanket. Hermione was nibbling at a ham sandwich while Draco leaned back on his arms and stared at the ocean, watching the waves crash against the shore.<p>

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked, breaking the silence.

The blonde shook his head. "Not really."

It was true. She had put an end to...whatever was going to happen out in the water and it put a damper on his appetite.

"You haven't eaten anything since yesterday." she pointed out.

Draco rolled his eyes and let his gaze fall on her. She sat cross legged, the sandwich held by her dainty fingers. Those familiar honey curls damp with salt water, no longer stuck to her neck. She had put her cover up on immediately upon their return.

"Will you quit bugging me about it if I eat something?" he asked dryly.

"There's a strong possibility." she replied.

Sighing in resignation, Draco reached for a sandwich and took an enormous bite. He chewed slowly as Hermione watched him. He opened his mouth when he had finished chewing before snapping it shut.

"Happy now?" he asked sarcastically.

Hermione didn't answer him. Instead she placed her sandwich back down on her plate and moved the stray strands of hair out of her eyes.

"I think that friends is all that we should be." she blurted out.

To her surprise, Draco snorted.

"Excuse me! What was that for?" she asked angrily.

"You realize you just told me two weeks ago that we shouldn't be friends. And look what happened." he reminded her.

Hermione pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest. "I'm serious, Malfoy. I don't think dating is a good idea."

"Who said anything about dating, Granger?" he mocked.

"You were...I thought in the water that..." she mumbled, furrowing her brows in thought.

Malfoy let out a laugh, tilting his head back. "Yes, I was flirting with you. But you want to stay friends, then fine. We'll stay friends. But I'll be waiting for when you change your mind"

Hermione scowled at him but failed to think of a retort. Her mouth snapped shut as she turned to stare out at the ocean.

"Thanks for bringing me here." she whispered, glancing over at him.

Draco sighed heavily. "Of course, Granger."

* * *

><p>Draco sat in his living room that evening, nursing a glass of whiskey. Hermione had asked him if he wanted to get dinner at the pub, but he wasn't in the mood for it. He wasn't mad at her, he had no right to be, but it was too painful right now to be around her. He thought he had played it off rather well, but it didn't ease the disappointment.<p>

He had made sure she had gotten back to her cabin safely, before apparating back to his own home. After showering and changing into a pair of sweats, he made himself dinner. It wasn't the same as having Granger sitting across from him, laughing at something he said.

They had eaten the rest of their lunch in quiet, and Draco had gone back into the ocean to swim some more. She had stayed on her towel, and read until he came back a while later and asked if she was ready to leave.

His thoughts revolved around the young witch for the rest of the evening and well into the night. Her laugh, the way she rubbed lotion onto her thigh, the feel of her hand in his...he couldn't get her out of his head. Salazar, this hurt.

Malfoy had no idea she would change her mind about being his friend, and he had no idea if she would change her mind about this too. But he hoped. Dammit he hoped.

He downed the last of his whiskey and poured himself another. His throat was burning now, but she was still occupying his thoughts. He didn't want to think about her anymore. He couldn't take another night of dreams filled with her.

* * *

><p>Hermione tossed and turned in bed that night. She knew she was attracted to Malfoy; he was devilishly handsome. She had been staring at his back muscles earlier the very same day! But a relationship was out of the question. Their futures were so uncertain. Hermione knew she couldn't stay at this cabin forever and there was no telling how long Draco would be in hiding. It just end in heart ache for the both of them.<p>

But there was a nagging voice in her brain screaming w_ho cares? _over and over again.

Groaning, Hermione stuffed a pillow over her head as though this would help.

"It would only end in heart ache." she told herself.

Waves could be heard faintly crashing against the stone, drowning out the voice in her head. Once the nagging voice had stopped, Hermione lay back down and drew the covers to her chin. She had to stick to her word. No good could come of a relationship between them.

And she would tell him that. First thing tomorrow.

* * *

><p><em>June 22nd, 1998<em>

Hermione met Draco at ten o'clock the next morning. He had glanced up when she walked in, but only briefly, before he turned back to his work. The sun was hidden by grey clouds today, making everyone feel sluggish. Hermione had tossed her hair into a messy pony tail, and had thrown on a pair of shorts and a jumper.

"Hi." she said nervously, taking her seat on the stool next to him behind the counter.

"Hi." he mumbled, not glancing up at her this time.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Granger, you should know I don't do small talk. So whatever it is you need to say, just say it." he told her frankly.

She inhaled sharply. "I'm sorry if I hurt you yesterday. But I haven't changed my mind. It's just that our futures are so...uncertain. And I just think that if we did have a relationship, it wouldn't end well. So I think it's best to just remain friends and not put ourselves through something that's only going to bring us pain."

Stabbing pains shot through his heart at her words. This is what he wanted to hear, even though he knew there was some truth to what she had said. But that didn't make it hurt any less. There was no way of knowing how long he would have to remain in hiding, and he hadn't thought about what he would do or where he would go once it was safe. And as for Granger? He knew damn well she wouldn't hide out in the cottage forever. There would come a time when she would run back to her friends and forget all about him.

"You know what Granger, you are absolutely right." he drawled, walking around her to place books back among the shelves.

"I really am sorry." she muttered before she rose from her stool and left the shop. The little bell tinkling, marking her departure.

* * *

><p>AN: I hope this chapter was alright! I tried to focus on New Life after uploading Chapter 2 of this fic on Wednesday, but I'm just stuck right now. So until inspiration returns for New Life, I'll be focusing on this fic. Let me know what you think by leaving a review!

Also, I just want to thank you all for the spike in attention this fic received after the second chapter was uploaded! 4 views shy of 800 views and 30 followers! You guys are amazing and I'm so thankful!


	4. Wait

Chapter 4

_June 22nd, 1998_

Harry and Ron sat at the cramped dining room table at the burrow, re-reading the letter they had received the day before.

_Harry and Ron, _

_I hope you understand when I say I don't want to reveal my location yet. Just know that I'm safe and I'm doing well. You might be angry with me, and I understand if you are. I left without warning, and for that I apologize. _

_I hope everyone is doing well. I know I should probably be there to mourn with you all, and I hope you don't hate me for leaving. I just...I needed time to myself. _

_I don't know when I'll return, but I hope I'll be welcomed with open arms. _

_I'll send an owl every week or so to let you know I'm alright. _

_With love, Hermione_

"We can't be mad at her, Ron." Harry said frankly, itching his nose.

Ron stared at him, mouth hanging open.

"Harry are you mad? I lost my brother last month and she just leaves." Ron said angrily, waving the letter in his face.

"Ron, in case you've forgotten, we left without telling anyone to hunt horcruxes. No one had any idea if we were alive or dead." Harry reminded him.

Ron deflated at his words. There was truth to Harry's words, he knew that, but it didn't make it hurt any less. His best friend had left in a time of need and he wasn't about to forgive her so quickly.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with you know...your feelings-" Harry started to ask but Ron interrupted him with a shake of his head.

"No, Harry. We both had our chance and we didn't take it. Besides, I have Annabelle now, remember?" Ron told him.

Ah yes, Annabelle. At the end of May, Harry had taken Ron to muggle London, help get his mind off of things. After walking around all day, Ron had requested they stop at Diagon Alley before heading back home. And it was there that Ron had met Annabelle. They'd been inseparable ever since. She was a clever witch with a pixie cut of strawberry blonde hair. Annabelle had studied magic in Ireland, but had moved to the London area just a week before. Ron took it upon himself to show her around. And after a few weeks of seeing each other, Ron had brought her over for dinner. The entire Weasley clan had fell in love with her.

"Right, sorry mate." Harry mumbled studying the letter again.

There were no clues as to Hermione's whereabouts. But she had ensured she was safe and Harry hoped she was telling the truth. They had lost too many people to the war, the last thing he needed was to lose Hermione too.

Ginny entered the dining room and placed a kiss on Harry's cheek.

"What do you have there?" she asked sweetly.

"Just a letter from Hermione, apologizing for not being here." Harry told her, handing her the letter.

Ginny scanned it quickly and pursed her lips. "Hm, well I'm sure she's fine. Just like she said."

Ron glared at his sister. "Why are you not mad at her?"

The youngest Weasley shrugged and sat down next to Harry. "Hermione did what she needed to do. Besides, we have no right to be angry with her."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, Harry's already reminded me. But that was different! We left, together, to stop Voldemort! Not to take a vacation."

Ginny raised her eyebrow at her hot headed brother. "So you don't know then?"

Harry and Ron shot the female red head curious looks. "Know what exactly?"

Ginny sighed, shaking her head. She had promised Hermione that she wouldn't say anything to anyone until Hermione was ready to tell them, but this was one promise she would have to break.

* * *

><p><em>June 25th, 1998<em>

Draco lay in bed that Friday morning, with no desire to start his day. The streams of early morning sunlight were trying to force him out of bed. He reached for wand and with a flick the curtains flew shut. That was a bit better.

It had been three days since Hermione had told him they would never be more than friends. If it was as simple as her not liking him back, he wouldn't be angry. But that wasn't it. Because if it had, she would have told him this already. No, she was holding herself back. Something was stopping her.

But he wasn't going to push her on this. He cared for her greatly, and he wondered when exactly that had happened. Perhaps he had cared for her long before they both ended up here.

Regardless, he was going to keep his distance until she was ready. When she was ready, she would come and find him. After all, she knew exactly where to find him.

* * *

><p><em>June 28th, 1998 <em>

Malfoy sat in his study, one leg crossed over the other. He hadn't been able to sleep at all the night before. His nightmares kept waking him, and now Hermione started making visits to dreamland. Their days replayed but with different endings. So he gave up on sleep.

He'd been sitting here for four hours now, the sun mid-high in the sky. And all he'd been able to think about was her. Her hair, the picnic, watching her giggle at his witty remarks as they spent morning after morning at his book shop. The way his name sounded on her tongue, those big brown eyes.

And then a new memory popped into his mind...

The first night they went out for a drink.

_What made you decide to...you know..._

He told her he joined The Enlightened.

_Can I answer that at a later time? _

He wasn't ready to say it. And maybe at the time he wasn't ready to admit it to himself.

_Why? Because so far the only reason was to save your own arse? _

Her words had seemed to vicious, like poison injected right into his veins.

_...We do what is necessary to keep ourselves safe. But it wasn't the only reason. _

_...just tell me the others_

She was angry by this point.

_Because I'm not ready_

It was true then. He wasn't ready. It had been only weeks since he made his decision and he hadn't time to properly wrap his head around it. But it had been almost two months now. And the past few weeks were only confirmation of his decision.

Now all he had to do was tell her.

* * *

><p><em>June 29th, 1998 <em>

Hermione laid in bed that morning, staring at her ceiling. She hadn't left her cabin in a whole week. Venturing to town was out of the question, as she feared she would run in to Draco. The last week had been hell, not much of a surprise to the clever witch. But it was what she needed to do. She needed to stay here and remember her friends. The friends who shouldn't have died.

The clock was ticking near noon. Hermione groaned and forced herself to get out of bed. She couldn't just lay here all day. Her hair looked like a rat's nest and there were dark circles underneath her eyes. How many days had it been since she showered? Two? Three?

She entered the kitchen and searched the cabinets and refrigerator for food, sighing at the lack of food. Looks like she'd be going into town today...

Maybe she could avoid seeing Draco. His lunch hour was almost over and he'd be in his shop for the rest of the afternoon. If she could just stay out of sight, he'd have no idea she was there.

After a quick shower and throwing on a clean tank top and shorts, Hermione departed from her cabin and disappeared into thin air.

* * *

><p>Draco had just finished ringing out his small line of customers when he happened to glance out the window. Her curls. Her honey curls had just whizzed by his shop. His eyes narrowed at her distancing figure.<p>

She hadn't been to see him in a week, and he hadn't bothered her had told himself he would wait for her. Wait until she was ready to deal with this. He wasn't going to rush her. He would wait. He only hoped that she wouldn't keeping him waiting for too long, no matter what it was she had to say.

At this point, he didn't care if she told him friends was all they'd ever be, or if she didn't want to see him at all. He just wanted to see her again. To see those chocolate eyes ablaze with that determined fire that never seemed to burn out. To hear her laugh and watch her nose crinkle as she did so. To hear her say his name.

"Draco." a female voice called out to him.

He glanced up, being pulled from his revere. His jaw slackened in shock at the brunette standing before him. She was staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something in return. And then he noticed the container of blueberries nested in her hands. That girl loved her blueberries. The presence of the fruit sent memories of her popping blueberries between those rosy lips. He smirked at the thought.

"Draco?" she said again, now looking worried.

"What is it Granger?" trying to keep his tone cool and neutral.

"Would you mind coming round to my house for dinner tonight?" she asked, biting at her bottom lip. "I'd like to talk to you."

The wizard raised an eyebrow at her, clearly intrigued. "Are you just going to toss me out of your home again after we've _talked?"_ his tone was icy, and she flinched at his words.

Hermione sighed. "Please, Draco, just say you'll come to dinner."

It was the way his name sounded against her tongue that melted all of his defensives. He wasn't sure when these feelings towards her had aroused, and he hadn't allowed himself time to think about them, to question them, but right now he didn't give a damn about when's or how's.

He knew damn well that there was a very high chance she would tell him there was no chance of a romantic relationship, but he was willing to brace that outcome if it meant having dinner with her.

"What time should I arrive?" he asked, trying to sound unaffected and tired.

Her body was trembling slightly and she fought to swallow air. "Six." She breathed, her answer barely audible.

Draco nodded. "See you then." His words announcing her dismissal.

* * *

><p>Draco appeared with a crack outside of her cabin and he straightened his tie before marching up to her front door. His fist was raised to the wood, ready to knock, when the door flew open. Hermione stood before him in a blood red sundress and her hair in a messy bun, a few stray wisps hugging her face. Her cheeks were red and he noticed she had oven mitts on her hands.<p>

"Granger." he greeted.

"Hello, Draco." she said airily before moving aside, allowing him to enter her cabin.

Whatever she was cooking, it smelled delicious. His stomach gave a low rumble. He hadn't realized how hungry he was. Though he had been here only once, he made himself at home and sat upon the small loveseat in the sitting area.

"Would you like something to drink? Firewhiskey?" her voice called from the kitchen just feet away.

"Firewhiskey is fine." his voice gruff with exhaustion and a long day at work.

Moments later, she appeared at his side with a glass filled with amber liquid. He took the glass from her grasp before she sat down across from him, a beer in her hands. He felt the liquid burn the back of his throat as it slid down his esophagus. Hermione watched him with nervousness as she took tiny sips of her beer.

Through the cabin walls, the waves of the ocean could be heard crashing against the solid rocks. The only sound slicing the silence between the couple. The scent of her delicious dinner was flooding his nostrils, his stomach churning. His gaze was fixed upon her. He couldn't stop staring at her nor she him. Melted silver boring into chocolate brown. Tension crackling between them.

Finally, she spoke.

"You're angry with me." her voice was soft and sad as she stared down at her bare feet.

"No, I'm not." he said finally, glancing up at her between those platinum blonde eyelashes.

She stared at him quizzically.

"I may not understand it, but I know how-" his speech was interrupted by the ding of the oven.

"Give me one moment," she mumbled before scurrying to the kitchen.

A few moments passed before she returned to the sitting area. His stomach grumbled again, but this time she could hear it.

"Let's continue this conversation over dinner?" she proposed, motioning to the counter that held their dinner.

Malfoy shook his head. "It can wait."

Hermione nodded before she sat back down across from him. He took another gulp of his firewhiskey, his body temperature slowly rising. Waves continued to crash beneath them. The sun was starting to sink towards the horizon, the sky painted in hues of orange and red and pink.

"I know how I feel about you. I know that I like you...quite a bit, actually. But I'm not going to spend this summer wondering when you'll make up your mind. It's like you said...our futures are uncertain. My feelings for you aren't. So now you need to decide how you feel. At this point, I don't care what the answer is. I just want to know. So we can decide where to go from here." his voice was low and firm, his eyes never leaving hers.

She had been expecting an explosion. She had been expecting there to be yelling and arguing. She had prepared for that, actually. But this...this had thrown her off completely, rendering her speechless.

Her throat felt dry as she listened to him talk. He had feelings for her. And it seemed he wasn't planning on fighting them. But then again, if any survivor of war learned one thing, it was to never waste time. To tell someone how you feel. To act on your feelings. To do what you wanted as soon as you possibly could. Because it could all be stripped from you too soon. Ripping you of what could have been happy memories.

Draco had learned that lesson, apparently, while she had not. She had spent the past few weeks in denial, even when her subconscious was trying to tell her how she felt. There were plenty of times when she scolded herself for staring at him just a moment too long, had averted her gaze so she couldn't see his taut muscles in the sunlight or the gleam in his silver moon eyes. She hadn't wanted to admit it. Hadn't wanted to accept she could have something good in her life for the first time in a really long time. Because in her mind, she didn't deserve it.

A tear slipped down her bronzed cheek and she tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat. On shaky legs, Hermione rose from her spot on the chair and walked over to sit down next to him on the loveseat. He watched her every move, noticed the wobbling of her knees, the quivering of her lip. She was but a foot away from him now, and she was staring at him intently.

"Draco, I have a lot to say, so please let me just get this all out, okay?" she whispered desperately, fighting more tears.

His disappointment was evident, but she needed him to hear this.

"I have feelings for you too. And I think you knew that before I did. But I just don't think a relationship is a good idea. I mean-" she started to say but Draco interrupted her.

"Why?" his tone slightly angry.

She glared at him for interrupting her after she had told him not to.

"Give me one good reason." he demanded, feeling the anger growing inside him.

Hermione's lip began to quiver and the tears began to spill from her ducts. Draco hadn't been expecting this, and he looked at her, alarmed.

"Granger, talk to me." he said in his best comforting tone.

She shook her head and backed herself away a few inches. He reached out to console her but she pushed his hand away. A sob escaped her throat as she tried to open her mouth to speak.

"Hermione," he said calmly, the use of her first name grabbing her attention. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

She drew in a shaky breath and wiped away the tears staining her cheeks.

"I don't deserve to have something good in my life." she cried, feeling her chest ache as more sobs fought their way out.

Immediately, Draco scooted towards her, and pulled her to him. She fell against his chest, her tears soaking his shirt. He had no idea what she was on about. He hadn't known her to be so self-deprecating. But more importantly, what happened that she felt she didn't deserve him? Him. Draco Malfoy. He wasn't the worst person on Earth, but surely wasn't worth someone feeling this way about him.

He waited for her sobs to reside before pulling her away and staring into her shiny, chocolate eyes.

"Why do you think that?" he asked softly, searching her features for the answer.

Hemione stared back at him, trying to settle a debate occurring in her mind. If she told him, she might feel better. If she told him, he might think she were crazy. But the desire to finally tell him was stronger than her fear of what he would think.

"Tonks and Remus..." she managed to choke out between another round of sobs.

Draco laughed. "Granger, I'm sure they wouldn't care about our relationship. She married a werewolf for Salazar's sake. She wouldn't be in a position to judge."

Hermione shook her head frantically.

"It's my fault they died." she sobbed finally. Her entire body shaking with the heart ache pounding in her chest.

* * *

><p>AN: Please don't hate me, even though I'm cruel and left this on a cliffhanger! I wanted to end it there though, which brings me to apologizing for the shortness of this chapter. Sorry 'bout that. I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter, I kept deleting parts and editing it and re-writing. So hopefully it's okay? Either way, let me know in a review! And another thank you for the interest in this fic! It makes me happy seeing those numbers go up!

On an important note, I'm going to change my update schedule. Normally, I'd upload a chapter snippet to my blog on Wednesday's, and upload the new chapter Saturday, but I sometimes get really impatient waiting those few days, as I usually have the chapter finished by Wednesday. So instead, I'm going to upload a new chapter every Wednesday, and I'll upload a snippet when I make a post announcing I've uploaded the new chapter. My tumblr is also where you can find updates and important news about my fics, so if you want to know why it may be taking so long for me to upload sometimes or anything like that, head over to my blog (link is in my bio) and follow me!

Thanks for reading and I'm gonna go now because this note it super long!


	5. Explanations

Chapter 5

_June 29th, 1998_

"Granger, what are you on about?" Draco asked a hysterical Hermione.

Hermione sniffled and drew in a sharp breath, burning her throat. His arm was firmly around her shoulders as they sat together on her couch. He stared at her intently, waiting to hear her explanation.

"Granger." he spoke again, lifting her head to meet his gaze.

She licked her lips, swallowing her salty tears. Her eyes searched his features, finding worry etched into the wrinkles on his forehead. He was worried. About her. And for some reason that only intensified her pain. She was glad he was being patient with her. She hadn't told anyone else about this, aside from Ginny. And having to tell the tale all over again took too much energy she wasn't sure she had. But if she didn't tell him now, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to. All she wanted to do was forget about the war. Forget about the tragic events that took place. Forget about the pain it had caused them all.

"I was battling this death eater..." Hermione whispered softly, wringing her hands.

"Do you know who they were?" Draco asked, frowning.

He hated hearing about the Death Eaters now. Just a mention of them left a sour taste in his mouth. The brand on his arm haunted him day in and day out, though it was beginning to slowly fade. To think he had once been one of them...

"No." Hermione said, shaking her head.

"What happened next, Granger?" his voice soothing and calm.

"Well I had been separated from Harry and Ron. So I was on my own with this death eater. Tonks and Remus must have seen me beginning to struggle...I was so tired by that point." she cried, hoping he would understand.

How could he not? The war had exhausted them all. Hours of running...dodging...dueling...watch peers, loved ones, friends die right in front of you.

"So they came over to help duel the death eater. And at one point Remus told me to run, that they could handle it. Two on one, you know?" Hermione laughed in disgust.

"I had tried to argue with him. I told him I couldn't leave them. But he insisted I go find Harry and Ron. Part of me knew he was right...I needed to get back to them, but I felt horrible just leaving them." her tone was now even and harsh, as if she couldn't even believe her past actions.

"But I couldn't continue distracting them from the death eater, so I gave in and I turned to run and...I heard screaming." she winced at the memory, a chill running down her spine.

Draco's face fell and he had a feeling he knew what was coming next. But his arm around her shoulder remained firm.

"I shouldn't have stopped. Remus was shouting at me to run. But when I turned around...Tonks was on the floor and she wasn't moving. Remus of course ran to her side and I could hear him crying..." she squeezed her eyes shut. "And then there was another set of screams and a flash of green light."

Hermione fell against his chest with relief at finishing her tale. Her throat was on fire and her heart was pounding in her ears. Tears swam down her cheeks and soaked into Draco's shirt. His arms wrapped around her, one hand caressing her hair. He felt her shake with sobs, her breathing short and shallow. He had no idea what to say. Of course their death wasn't her fault...but he could see how she thought it was.

"Why should I have something good when Teddy doesn't have parents anymore? Because of me." her voice was raw with anger and pain, the sound of her voice muffled against his chest.

Draco had never felt his heart ache for someone before, especially this strongly. Slowly, he pulled her away from his chest, gripping her arms to keep her steady. She stared at him with red-rimmed eyes, her face blotchy. He searched her distraught features and found nothing but guilt and shame.

"You know as well as I do, I don't empathize with people. I'm the one that let the death eaters into the castle. I'm the one that plotted different ways to..." he didn't need to finish that sentence.

"But this was not your fault. You didn't cast the killing curse. You didn't ask them to come and help you." he spoke slowly, boring his eyes into her with such intensity she could feel the heat of his gaze.

He needed her to understand.

"And as for Teddy...at the very least, he has my Aunt 'Dromeda. Tonks turned out just fine, I'm sure Teddy will too." he was whispering now, their noses touching.

Hermione nodded solemnly, allowing his words to slow her breathing. His fingers were running in slow circles against her skin. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. Her sobs had stopped, tear tracks painted on her flushed cheeks.

"Granger," he murmured.

She lifted her head and cocked her head, blinking rapidly. It was starting to grow dark outside, the moonlight casting shadows throughout the small room. The fire was beginning to die, a subtle orange glow dancing across their features.

"Do you remember the first night we went out for a drink?" he asked.

Hermione nodded, recalling the memory. How odd it felt to see him again, how different he was.

"And do you remember what we talked about? About why we were here?" Draco asked her.

"Yes, of course." she mumbled, growing more curious by the second.

Where was he going with this?

"You remember that I told you I wasn't ready to tell you why I had joined The Enlightened." his voice was shaky with nerves, one of his knees bouncing rapidly.

Hermione sat up straight and inched forward. She placed a steady hand on his knee, ceasing the shaking. He glanced over at her then, admiring her ability to switch from a blithering mess to a comforting presence.

"I'm afraid I don't know where this is going, Draco." she whispered.

His hands were gripped together, slick with sweat. His heart was pounding in his ears. He knew he wanted to tell her. Knew he had to tell her at some point. But actually telling her was something he hadn't prepared for. She was staring at him with confusion, waiting for him to speak. And Merlin, he wanted to.

"I joined because of you." he rushed out, feeling an unfamiliar heat flood his cheeks.

He didn't dare look at her. Didn't want to see the expression etched on her face. Instead he studied the sturdy hand on his knee. He gulped down a breath, feeling the dryness of his throat.

"What?" Hermione breathed, removing her hand from his knee and standing.

She paced around the living room, nibbling away at her bottom lip. Her hands fumbling with hair; pulling into a bun, letting it out, and repeating those motions over and over again. Draco watched her beneath hooded eyes. She wouldn't stop pacing, wouldn't stop throwing him curious glances. He swallowed another breath.

"I don't understand." she said, finally.

Stopped in the middle of the floor, an orange glow surrounding her being. For lack of better words, she looked angelic in that moment. And if he had needed a reminder of why he had abandoned everything and everyone he knew, it would be this moment.

The sight of a fighter, a warrior. A stubborn, head strong, determined, intelligent woman. This beautiful witch that stood before him. And she had no idea he felt as though he owed his life to her; his sanity, the new found goodness he had discovered after his decision. All because of her.

Slowly, Draco rose off the couch and stalked towards his. His movements slow and steady, and she watched him with bated breath. He was centimeters away from her, again. Could feel her breath on his neck. Hermione studied him, the sincerity traced into his features undeniable.

Why her? Why was she the reason for such a big decision?

"Why Draco?" her question barely audible, completely desperate for an answer.

Draco's eyes flickered between those warm, chocolate eyes and her soft rosy lips. He thought of the way she popped blueberries between those lips; the mental image making him smile. If she noticed his smile, she said nothing.

"I'm not very good with words, Granger." he muttered before leaning in and brushing his lips against hers.

One hand cupped her neck, while the other pressed against the small of her back. She was hesitant at first, before throwing caution to the wind and pressing her body against his. Her lips were soft and warm against his. They moved slowly and gently at first, relishing in the fireworks exploding in her chest. He felt his lips twist into a smile against hers and she deepened the kiss, parting her lips to allow his tongue to wander.

She moaned as his tongue explored every inch of her mouth, his teeth grasping her bottom lip. Her hands were in his hair, tugging and gripping on to him as their tongues collided between hot and heavy breaths. She knew she had wanted to do this for a little while now, but she had never imagined it would feel this good. It felt right. Satisfying. Relieving. Godric, if she could kiss him for the rest of her life, never breaking away for a second, she would.

His arms felt strong around her like this, and she feared only for a moment that if she weren't in his steady grip, she would fall weak at the knees from this kiss. Her legs felt like jelly the longer their lips molded together, his thumb stroking a singular spot right underneath her earlobe. She whimpered when he bit into her lip again, and for the second time, his lips formed into a smile as her lips continued to graze his with urgency.

He had no idea how long they stood like this. Snogging and grasping and moaning and feeling and touching. Every sense in his body heightened, the hair on his skin standing on edge. Never before had he felt lips so soft and inviting. Draco hissed when she mimicked his action of biting her lip, and this time it was her turn to smile in satisfaction. He felt a twitch in his groin and knew he had to stop this soon. He wasn't ready for that, and if he knew Granger in the slightest, she probably wasn't either.

Hating himself for doing so, Draco pulled away, releasing her from his grasp. She sighed in disappointment. She didn't want that kiss to end just yet, but Draco was keeping his distance from her. She watched as he ruffled his hands through his platinum hair, shining in the moonlight flooding her sitting area. Only embers remained in her fireplace.

An awkward silence fell between the pair as Hermione sat down on the couch once again, running her fingers over his lips. His scent was everywhere. The spot by her earlobe still warm with his touch.

"Are you going to tell me why?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Draco stopped in his tracks; he hadn't realized it, but it was he who was now pacing. He glanced over at her, confused. Before their previous conversation came rushing back.

"Not just yet." he replied.

Hermione pursed her lips in displeasure.

"Why not?" Hermione pressed.

He had stopped their kiss and now he wasn't going to provide an explanation. He was easily irritating.

"I'm not ready just yet." he sighed, feeling guilty for not being able to provide her with answers.

Hermione nodded. Something in his voice told her not to press him on the matter. She could only hope that someday he would be ready. Hermione felt the cushion next to her sink with his weight. His hand reached out to grab hers, which turned out to be unusually cold. Hermione bit her lip, ready to speak, but it was Draco who spoke first.

"Granger, I'm not going to ask you to forget about your friends. But at the very least, let me be there for you. Don't push me away anymore. Clearly going through this alone isn't working very well." he pleaded, squeezing her hand.

She squeezed back and gave him a small smile.

"I won't push you to do anything you don't want to do. But don't shut me out anymore. Please, Granger." he sounded unapologetically desperate as he spoke.

Hermione stared at the man that sat next to her. His pale features so sharp in the moonlight, those silver eyes twinkling with admiration as he stared back at her. His hand firm against hers. Strong. Like his arms. There was no denying that she wanted him. In exactly what sense, she wasn't completely sure yet. She knew she liked talking to him, and she definitely liked kissing him. She knew they had fun together. Her summer hadn't been going as she had planned, but she decided that wasn't a bad thing.

"I'll see you at your shop tomorrow, then? Our usual time?" she asked with a smirk and a shake of head.

* * *

><p><em>July 2nd,1998<em>

Hermione threw her head back with a laugh while Draco stared lazily at her, amused. There wasn't a soul in the shop this Friday morning, which was unusual but both parties appreciated the privacy.

The summer heat was really creeping in now, with the humidity at an all time high. The skies threatened storms. Hermione wore nothing more than a tank top and shorts, while Draco was dressed in his usual business attire. Merlin, he wished she weren't wearing that tank top. Her cleavage kept taunting him, and he trained his eyes to look anywhere but there.

Tuesday night they had agreed that things would move slowly. Hermione was still healing from the war, and in a way, so was Draco. They had come to terms they were in this together. He knew he couldn't heal her, but if he could be there for her while she did, that was just fine with him. Hermione hadn't brought up their conversation that led to the kiss, and she seemed content with the lack of a solid answer. For now, at least.

"Draco are you sure you're getting enough business?" Hermione asked with concern, glancing around the barren shop.

He replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Trust me, I make plenty."

The witch nibbled away at her sandwich and glanced at the clouds outside. The sky was growing darker by the minute. A low rumble of thunder sounded from the distance.

"I'm not fond of storms." she mumbled absent-mindedly.

Malfoy maneuvered around the counter and laced his arms around her waist. His head perched on her shoulder as he peppered kisses across her neck.

"I'll make sure the storms don't hurt you, Granger." he murmured into her neck.

She cocked her head to shove him off and giggled with a mouth full of food. "I'm eating Draco!"

He chuckled and went back to his spot behind the counter. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to talk with food in your mouth?"

Hermione swallowed before sticking out her tongue. "Shouldn't have kissed my neck then."

Malfoy shook his head.

"So, I have different plans for dinner tonight. I hope that's alright?' he asked, earning him a confused gaze from his witch.

"We're not having dinner together?" she inquired, taking another bite of her sandwich.

"No, no. Sorry, I meant I changed our usual plans." he said with a sheepish smile.

Hermione's face lit up in surprise. "Alright then."

"Can you meet me at my place at five o'clock then?" Draco asked.

"Sure." she replied with a small smile.

Just then a bell tinkled over the head of an entering customer and both Hermione's and Draco's heads snapped to attention. A middle aged man with short brown hair walked in, glancing around. After consuming the sights of the bookshop, the man turned his attention to Draco and Hermione.

"Good afternoon, sir." Draco said pleasantly.

The man approached them, standing just a little too close to Hermione and smiled at the blonde wizard.

"Yes, a good afternoon indeed." he said, more to himself than to the shop owner.

Hermione cast Draco a wary glance and with a small nod from her companion, she moved away from the man to stand behind the counter with Draco. The stranger focused his gaze onto Hermione and had to repress a smirk.

"Is this your girlfriend, son?" the man asked, giving Draco a knowing smile.

Draco, however, was not amused by this man. He certainly did not like the way he was looking at Hermione, nor did he like the vibe he was getting from this guy. He frowned and placed his hands on the counter, leaning forward. His eyes narrowed into slits.

"I don't believe that's any of your business, sir. If there isn't anything I can help you with, I'd appreciate it if you would leave my store." Draco drawled, his voice dangerously low.

The man retreated a few inches, his hands up in the air. "Just trying to make conversation. No harm intended. My name's Al. I'm new to town. I-I'm not very good at communicating effectively with people."

Draco could feel Hermione relax next to him and he wanted to curse her will to see good in everyone. He wasn't buying it from this guy. His eyes remained on the nervous looking man for a few moments, studying him.

"I think my co-worker and I would feel more comfortable if you left my premises." The former Slytherin spoke firmly, nodding his head towards the door.

The man called Al gave a nervous glance around the shop before bolting out the door.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief the moment he fled past the shop.

"That was odd, Draco. Really odd." Hermione commented, staring out the window where she last saw the man.

Draco nodded and placed a swift kiss on the top of her head. "I need to contact the Order. Ensure that there's solid wards around my home, and here of course." he murmured before making his way to the back office.

Hermione followed him back and stood anxiously in the door way. She hadn't known this new Draco long, but seeing him this shaken unnerved her. He was hunched over his desk, scribbling away on the parchment.

"Make sure you include a description of him." she whispered.

The blonde nodded, noting that he had heard her. Hermione nibbled at her bottom lip as he finished the letter and sent it off with his owl. He then turned to her and pulled her into a secure hug.

"Forget what I said about coming to my place tonight. I'll be at your place tonight by five o'clock. Okay?" he told her.

She nodded and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before departing from his shop.

* * *

><p>Hermione was back in the safety of her cabin and she felt for the first time in over an hour she could take a true, calming breath. There was something off about that man and she hoped this didn't mean trouble for Draco. What if he had to leave? What if they would never see each other again?<p>

Stop it, she told herself. You're letting your thoughts get the best of you.

Deciding she needed a cup of tea and a good book, Hermione set about doing just that. The kettle was on the stove and a cool breeze was invading her cabin. It was a nice change from the usual heat waves that rolled through. With a blanket over her knees, and a book in her lap, Hermione allowed herself to relax and all thoughts of the strange man to exit her mind.

She had drank four cups of tea and was almost finished her book when a knock on her door startled her. Remembering what happened earlier today, Hermione had her wand ready, pointed at the door. On shaky feet, she approached and opened the door just a crack before sighing in relief at the sight of platinum hair and steel grey eyes.

Draco greeted her with a comforting smile, holding a mysterious package in his hands. The wind was picking up and she hoped that whatever Draco's plans were for the evening weren't going to be ruined by the oncoming storm.

"How was the rest of your day?" she asked sweetly, allowing him to come further into her cabin.

He shrugged. "No more creepy customers, if that's what you're wondering."

Malfoy placed the package into her hands and offered a mischievous smile. "Put this on and meet me back out here. I'll be waiting."

Hermione eyed him with confusion before slowly making her way to her bedroom, throwing him glances as she retreated. Once in her bedroom, Hermione placed the package on the bed and inhaled a sharp breath before opening the box.

Inside was a silk black material and a pair of red pumps and...jewelry? What on earth was he planning?

She plucked up the black material to find it was a one shoulder dress, the silk smooth and cold against her fingertips. Sighing in resignation, she stripped off her shorts and tank top and slid into the little black number. She slid on the pumps and placed the diamond bracelet around her left wrist. Should she apply make up? Do her hair? He hadn't said more than to put on the outfit. But one glance at her reflection told her she should at least do minimal work.

Deciding one application of mascara and a bit of red lipstick was enough, Hermione twisted her golden brown locks into a tight bun. She checked her reflection once more. There. That was better. Though she still felt slightly uncomfortable in the outfit. It was seldom that she dressed up like this, and it was only when it was required.

Feeling slightly self-conscious, she exited her bedroom and re-entered the sitting area. Draco sat on the couch, elbows on his knees, hands wringing. He glanced over at the sight of her presence in the corner of his eye and felt his jaw drop.

A blush crept up her cheeks as he eyed her with wonder, his mouth still hanging open.

"You look absolutely beautiful." he whispered softly, standing to approach her.

Hermione gave a small smile in return as he ran a finger across her cheek.

"Thank you." she replied quietly.

"Shall we go then?" Draco asked, holding his arm out.

She nodded, linked her arm through his and left her small cabin.

* * *

><p>Hermione hadn't been sure what to expect of their mystery destination, but all of the images she had cooked up in her head, didn't even compare to the real thing. The carpet was a dark red with enormous chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Classical music serenaded each and every guest as they sat at small, private tables. She had been a little shocked at the price of the food, but Draco had insisted it was fine.<p>

They went through three bottles of an expensive white wine and her stomach was full of her delicious pasta dinner. With more than several glasses of wine through her veins, Hermione had never felt so relaxed. Draco had of course offered to see her home, to which Hermione politely accepted.

It was quite a shock to the former Slytherin however, when Hermione told him to come inside.

"Granger, you've had quite a bit to drink tonight." he reminded her as they crossed her threshold.

Loose strands were beginning to fall from her bun, her cheeks were rosy and her lips spread into an ear-to-ear smile.

Draco had had just as much as her, but he was a bit more experienced with his alcohol and had a firmer head on his shoulders. But that smile was irresistible.

"Yes, I suppose I have, haven't I?" the witch giggled, tugging Draco onto the couch by his tie.

Her lips crashed into his, her breathing heavy as she tugged on his hair, biting at his lips. Draco wrapped his arms around her, and allowed her to deepen the kiss. Their tongues thrashed into one another, eager to explore the other's mouth. Draco inhaled a breath that smelled of wine and desire. Her hands were at the back of his neck, her finger nails digging into his skin as he pressed his body into hers. A tiny moan escaped her throat as she trust her pelvis into his, causing Draco to retreat.

"Granger, hold on a minute." he panted.

Her eyes hooded by her lids as she stared up at him, licking her lips. "Why?" she asked, a trace of annoyance dripping from her tongue.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Draco asked.

The last thing he wanted to do was engage in a situation she would only regret come morning.

Hermione stared at him lazily, her eyes glossed over. For Salazar's sake, he couldn't do this. It didn't feel right. As eager as he was to take their relationship to that level, he didn't want it to happen when they both probably wouldn't remember much the next day.

Thunder crashed around them, shaking her cabin. Hermione gave out a reluctant yelp at the sudden sound. The wind was howling while rain pounded against her windows. They had been lucky to just miss the storm on their way home from dinner, but Draco had a feeling it wouldn't be letting up any time soon.

Surprisingly, Hermione remained seemingly unaffected once the thunder had faded.

"It's fine, Draco." she whispered, her lips centimeters from his again.

But Draco shook his head vigorously. He had grown to know the stubborn witch quite well over the past month, and he was certain that she would regret this decision by tomorrow.

"You should go to bed." he told her firmly.

"I'm not tired!" she argued.

But her lungs betrayed her as she exhaled a yawn. Draco scooped her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom. Gently, he placed the intoxicated witch onto her bed and threw her blanket over her. He then grabbed a small trash bin and placed it by her head, being sure to roll her onto her side before he retreated into the sitting area. Leaving her never crossed his mind, so he searched the storage closets for a blanket and an extra pillow before settling down on the couch.

He was so warm, and so cozy underneath the scratchy blanket. The wine in his system was forcing his eyes shut with slumber. Draco allowed the sound of the rain to lull him off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>July 3rd, 1998<em>

Draco's eyes snapped open, darting around the pitch black sitting room. It was clearly still the middle of the night, and it took him a second to remember that it was high pitched screams that had awoken him. There was a slight pounding in his temples, but he forced himself to jump, immediately bolting to Hermione's bedroom.

He stumbled as his feet made way through the dark, but the continuous stream of screams told Draco he didn't have time to go back for his wand. He cursed to himself as his knee collided with a wall, but continued down the hallway until he ran straight into her closed door.

The door flung open, with Draco panting slightly in the doorway. He could just make out her outline, sitting straight up in bed. She had stopped screaming at the sound of the door bursting open, but now there were strangled sobs tearing at her throat.

Immediately, Draco found his way to the bed and pulled the shaking form of Hermione into his lap as she cried. He couldn't understand what she was muttering in between sobs, but it was clear she had had a nightmare. Something he was all too familiar with. His hands combed through her hair as she cried into his chest. The blonde wasn't sure if she was aware of what was happening right now, and wondered how she would react to his presence if she did take notice.

"It was just a nightmare, Granger. You're alright." he cooed softly.

She was trembling so severely that Draco resigned to grabbing her blanket and wrapping it around the both of them. She continued to moan incoherent babbles in between sobs while Draco rocked her back and forth. He had never considered himself particularly good at comforting, but everything with Granger seemed to come naturally. Whether it be the fact that she wasn't completely conscious right now or he just couldn't stand to see her this way, he knew exactly what to do to calm her down.

The storm still hadn't let up and he cursed it for shaking up his delicate witch before she drifted off to sleep. Grant it, she probably suffered from nightmares no matter what the weather, but he imagined the storms didn't exactly soothe her pre-slumber thoughts.

Draco had no idea how long he sat like that with her. Minutes? Hours? It didn't matter. The sky was still darkened with storm clouds when her sobs resided to soft cries.

"Draco?" she mumbled sleepily against his chest.

The distraught witch glanced up at the strong arms holding her, blinking to gain a sense of sight amidst the darkness.

"Yes Granger?" he hummed.

"You're still here." she observed, sitting up fully now.

He nodded. "I can leave if you want."

Hermione studied him in the dark. His silver eyes the only source of light. The worry lines in his forehead had never been so prominent. Draco swallowed, the dryness of scratching his throat. Merlin, he was thirsty.

Much to his surprise, Hermione shook her head fiercely.

"I want you to stay." she breathed, their lips inches apart.

Draco closed the distance between them, swallowing the words he had been dying to hear.

Their kiss started off gentle and slow, her lips salty with tears. Hermione felt a hand cup her neck as he deepened the kiss. Draco flipped them so that she was now beneath him, pressing her into the mattress. Her hands snaked around his waist, holding him to her with all the strength she had. The kiss was slowly becoming heated, their tongues intertwining into one, desperate for more. He smelled of mint and wine, the scent invading her nostrils as his mouth moved over hers. Her mind was fuzzy with far away nightmares and slumber, and she didn't care one bit. She wanted him, here, now.

Hermione thrust herself against him for the second time tonight, and once again, he retreated. He hovered over her, their faces inches apart.

"Are you absolutely sure?" he murmured.

"Positive." she assured him, pulling him to her once again.

Trusting her, Draco allowed the kiss to continue. The passion rising quickly between the two as their hands wandered and their lips molding together. Without a moment of hesitation, Draco trailed kisses from her lips, to along her jaw line, down to her neck. She moaned into the still air of her home while her hands caresses his platinum locks. His hands wandered down her chest, past her hips until they found the hem of her little black dress. He wanted her. Needed her. Right now.

Hermione allowed him to pull up her dress, exposing her bare legs and silk black knickers. His hand wandered up to her bra, where his fingers slipped underneath, and began tugging at her nipples. She bucked into him, clawing at his back. His tongue trailed from beneath her ear lobe to her collar bone and back up again, nipping at her sensitive skin now and again.

Another roar of thunder rumbled across the pitch black sky, causing Hermione to tremble.

"You're fine, Granger." he mumbled into the nape of her neck.

She swallowed a shaky breath and allowed herself to get fully lost in his touch. His hands felt like silk against her skin as they caressed her breasts.

Growing frustrated with the clothing that separated their bare bodies, Draco withdrew from her neck and ripped the dress over her head. Hermione followed his lead and tugged his shirt over his head before moving to his trousers.

"Bloody hell!" he grunted.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"My bloody legs are stuck!" he replied, removing himself from her completely so he could properly remove his trousers.

Draco fumbled clumsily for a few moments before he was finally free of the cloth.

Both chests heaving, they stared at one another. The moon had managed to break between clouds, allowing its dim rays to shine through her window, illuminating their naked bodies. Hermione fought the urge to cover herself, as she was always somewhat conscious of her body.

Draco stared down at her exposed body with wonder. Her rosy nipples were hard from his touch...her flat stomach outlined the moonlight...and those black silk knickers...Merlin, she was beautiful. Hungry with desire, Draco swooped down on her, returning to her neck, where he began to pepper kisses along her collarbone.

Hermione moaned as her skin prickled under his touch. His thumb found the tips of her breasts again, tugging at her nipples. She reached a hand down in between them and began to stroke his length. His shoulders shuddered and a low growl escaped his throat. His mouth moved to her breasts, his tongue flicking around her nipples before he suckled on each one, moving back and forth. Gently, he tugged at them with his teeth. His hand snaked down her body, to in between her thighs.

He found her flesh and was surprised at how aroused she was already. Her juices coated his fingers as his thumb massaged her clit. Hermione let out a gasp, arching her back at his touch. Slowly, he slipped one finger inside, curving his finger upwards to hit her wall. She writhed beneath him as he slipped in another finger, the pressure beginning to build inside her. Godric, this felt so good.

Hermione reached up to bury her head in the crook of his neck, her lips suckling against his pale skin. Draco hissed as her lips met his skin, her tongue swirling in a circular motion.

"I'll be gentle, alright?" he whispered to her in the night.

She nodded, unable to use her words.

Draco withdrew his fingers and pushed her legs open. He lowered himself so his length was just at her entrance, before he slowly pushed himself inward. He stopped when just the tip of his length had been enveloped by her, allowing her to grow accustomed to the sensation. She whimpered into his neck, her hands once again in his hair. He pushed himself inside her a little more, feeling her warm flesh against his length. Another growl forced itself out of his throat as his hands gripped the sheets on either side of her head.

"Granger, you alright?" he asked, wanting to be sure he wasn't hurting her.

"M'fine." she mumbled breathlessly.

With one final push, he let the rest of him be swallowed by her entrance. Hermione yelped in surprise, causing Draco to pause. But Hermione bucked into him, telling him not to stop. He began to thrust in and out slowly at first, with dulcet moans flowing out of her mouth as she gripped her nails into his back, dragging her fingers down. It wasn't long before the slow thrusts turned into a steady pace, their hips working together in a fluid motion.

He brought his lips down on her breasts again, swallowing as much into his mouth as he could fit. He was sucking and biting as he continued to thrust into her, her moans growing louder.

"Fuck." he hissed, feeling her tightness around him.

Hermione thrust her chest against him, smothering him with her breasts. Merlin, she didn't want him to stop. One of his fingers slipped between their legs, rubbing at her spot again.

"Oh my God!" she cried out.

Beads of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead, as he thrust in and out of her more fiercely. The pressure inside her was beginning to build, her brain growing fuzzy with all of the sensations he was inflicting on her body. His tongue swirling round and round on her aroused nipples, his thumb padding against her most sensitive spot, the length of him filling her again and again.

Draco could feel her writhing and squirming beneath him, crying out in pleasure. She was getting close, he could tell. He sped up, his thumb continuing to move faster and faster as her hips bucked into his. Her moans filled the air around them, the air smelling of sweat and sex. With a few final thrusts, her body began to twitch, her mouth slack as she felt herself come undone around him. She rolled her head back and closed her eyes, allowing the waves of her orgasm to take over her body.

He waited until she was satisfied before taking a few final thrusts to relieve himself inside her. Draco growled lowly as he released himself, before collapsing on top of her.

Both of them lay there panting, two sweaty bodies molding together as one. Her face was buried into his neck as she caught her breath. Draco allowed his eyes to close as he drew himself out of her. He lifted his head to pepper kisses across her forehead and cheeks before rolling off of her to lay by her side.

Hermione plucked up her blanket from the foot of the bed, drew it over both of them and settled in next to his side. In a matter of minutes, the couple was fast asleep.

* * *

><p><em>July 5th, 1998<em>

Draco had spent the rest of the weekend at Hermione's. They woke up that Saturday morning feeling refreshed and well rested, a first for both of them since the war ended. She had accompanied him to his book shop like she usually did, and was thankful when that strange man didn't show up again. Saturday night she had shown him some muggle films and spent the rest of the night reading to each other, wrapped in a blanket on her couch. Sunday had been spent in a similar manner, and she had asked him to spend the night again. To which Draco had no problem with.

It was Monday morning now, and the witch and wizard sat at her tiny table with breakfast in front of them. Two mugs filled with steaming hot tea sat in front of them, along with eggs, toast and bacon. The sun was barely over the horizon, a colorful display of pinks and oranges radiated into her cabin. The trees were calm in the early morning, branches only disturbed by chirping birds. Hermione had opened all the windows to allow fresh, cool morning air to flow into the cabin.

Draco was reading the same book he had picked out the day before when he heard Hermione clear her throat. He glanced up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I know what I want to today." she stated calmly.

* * *

><p>AN: Right, so this was the first sex scene I've ever wrote. So if commenting on it, please be kind? I'm sure I'll improve with time. I hope this chapter was enjoyable. This chapter was a few pages longer to make up for the shortness of the last! Read and review please! And as always, eternally grateful for the attention this fic is receiving!

I apologize for not uploading the chapter until late tonight (1/21), I know it's still technically Wednesday for me. But I'm currently dealing with a stressful situation, and it's been quite distracting. I hope this won't distract me from uploading on time next week, but if it does, I apologize in advance.

Also, any guesses as to what Hermione wants to do this Monday? Not too much of a cliffy, but a tiny one (;


	6. Doubts

Chapter 6

_July 5th, 1998_

They had decided to go at dusk. When the sun was sinking into the horizon, putting on it's usual display of colors. Hermione had insisted that Draco be disguised, he was in hiding after all. It had taken quite a bit of convincing, but it was her final desperate plea that made him cave.

_"Draco do you have any idea how important you've become to me?" she had whispered to him as they lay in her bed after deciding on a round of morning coitus. _

_His eyes had searched hers for her silent answer. A heavy sigh left his lungs, his hands rubbing at his tired eyes. _

_"Alright, Granger." he mumbled into her fuzzy hair. _

There was a steady breeze that whistled through the trees as they made their way through the darkening forest, her hand gripped firmly in his.

"You're sure you know where it is?" he asked for the fifth time.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she led them through the trees, hearing the faint trickle of the creek.

"Yes, Draco. I do." she reassured him, biting back her annoyance.

After a few more minutes of walking, Hermione had come to a stop. She breathed in the fresh air, feeling raw against her lungs. Her skin prickled with anxiety as he stood by her side.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Whenever you are." Draco replied.

With his confirmation, Hermione spun on the spot, taking Draco with her.

* * *

><p>Their feet landed on solid ground. The wind was a bit stronger here, on top of this enormous hill. Her hair whipped around her, obstructing her view of the graveyard just feet away from them. Hermione reached for the hair band she always kept around his wrist and threw her hair into a pony tail. Draco was stiff beside her, still unsure of this idea. But it was what she had wanted.<p>

"Let's go." he insisted, extending his hand for her to hold.

Together they walked among the graves, using their wands as light to guide them. The sky around them was turning a beautiful shade of deep indigo, the sun now kissing the horizon.

"Do you see it yet?" she asked him, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Not yet, Granger." Draco muttered into the growing darkness.

Hermione shut her eyes briefly as they passed grave after gave, names of unknown people surrounding her. People who had possibly died in vain, of people who may have died by natural causes, people who possibly were murdered, just like Tonks and Remus. They carried on for several minutes, reading each individual tombstone.

Draco was starting to grow frustrated during their search. They had passed tens upon tens of tombstones, and so far nothing. His wand light shone over a cluster of tombs, none of them engraved with the names they were searching for. Night was growing around them by the minute. The chill of the wind was beginning to prickle at his skin. This should have been easier than it was. She had been to the funeral after all.

"Draco." Hermione's voice came somewhere to his right.

He swiveled his wand light to where her voice had come from, to find her standing beneath a willow tree, two tombstones underneath its branches. She glanced at him with tears in her eyes as he made his way to her. Her lip was trembling when she turned her attention back to the graves, her wand arm falling to her side.

He was at her side now, one of his arms wrapped around her slim shoulders. She rested her head against his chest. Draco found it hard to look directly at the graves, as if he wasn't worthy. After all he hadn't known his cousin well, and had spent his third year mocking her husband. His mother and father had never brought up Tonks' existence, being the daughter of his aunt's family betrayal. He had been fed opinions of his cousin that he hadn't had the opportunity to question until it was too late.

Hermione's shoulders began to shake the longer they stood there. He wanted to offer words of comfort, but what could he say that hadn't already been said? Of course he had told her their deaths weren't their fault, but it was hard to believe when they died protecting her.

"They should be with Teddy." she whispered.

Draco remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

"Granger don't torture yourself with what if's and should be's. It's useless." He told her finally, running his thumb in slow circles against her shoulder.

Her face twisted to view his, a look of disgust etched on her darkened features. One lone tear slipped down her cheek as she glared at him.

"That's easier said than done." she spat harshly, tugging herself out of his grip.

Hermione plopped onto the grass in front of their graves, and drew her knees to her chest. The words engraved on their stones seemed to haunt her the longer she stared at them. The dates of their death were permanently burned into her brain. She slowly lifted her wand and drew a circled in the air, a reef of flowers appearing in thin air before settling down between the tomb stones.

Draco watched with uncertainty. He wanted to make her feel better, to take her pain away. But that was something he wasn't able to accomplish. She needed to come to terms with this on her own. He couldn't make her forgive herself. A lesson he had learned the hard way, and had yet to accomplish. There was no doubt he had been a part of such a cruel, unforgiving crowd. And though he had not actually committed unspeakable, despicable acts, he had believed those who fell victim, deserved it. Maybe there was no blood on his hands, but he knew he had inflicted damage on those around him over six years. And the person who caught the most of it was sitting right next to him.

"You're right." he muttered, unsure if she could hear him.

Her head swiveled slightly, her red-brimmed eyes questioning him silently.

"It's easier said than done."

* * *

><p><em>July 8th, 1998 <em>

Hermione had felt a tad better since visiting Tonks and Remus' grave just days prior. Though she had attended the funeral, she had locked away her guilt, refusing to acknowledge it fully. And though they would never hear her apology or see her tears as she wept for the parentless child and a night she wished she could alter, she felt better knowing that at least she had done something about the weight inside her chest. She wouldn't admit it to Draco just yet, but his few whispers about their love for her had helped with overcoming her grief.

Tonks and Remus were wonderful people, who had grown quite fond of Hermione over the years. Remus had seen her potential and capability since her third year at Hogwarts, and Tonks was like the big sister she never had. She loved them, and they loved her. Hermione knew that if roles were reversed, if she had been the one to die instead of them, that she wouldn't regret it, or resent them for it. And slowly but surely, she was starting to accept that about the couple that died too soon.

But there was still the residual grief that would hit her at random moments throughout the day. As if her mind was determined to make sure she was always ridden with guilt. Thoughts of Teddy never hearing his mom's voice, or Remus seeing his son off on the Hogwarts Express for the first time would intrude and bring out a few tears accompanied by an aching heart.

This was how life was now though. Tonks and Remus were gone. They had died protecting someone they cared about greatly. Now as she had do was...move on.

Easier said than done.

Which is where her thoughts found her early Thursday morning as she sipped her tea and nibbled on toast. Draco had repeated her words back to her after moments of silence, and she wasn't quite sure what had been running through his mind. She had pestered him about it, of course, but he held out. He insisted he had just been thinking about his cousin and her husband and Hermione's grief, nothing more. She had dropped it after a day or so when he his frustration began to show.

She hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since, however. There was something he wasn't telling her, something that he was keeping bottled up inside of her. And if she had learned only one lesson since she isolated herself, it was that bottling things up never did you any good.

She wanted answers from him, and she was going to get them.

* * *

><p>The little bell tinkled as Hermione entered the shop, a picnic basket in hand. She smiled warmly at the blonde man behind the counter, and though his smile was strained, at least he returned it. But at the sight of her basket, he frowned in confusion.<p>

"Granger, what is the meaning of that basket?" he questioned, sorting through a pile of books.

Hermione withdrew the items; a container of blueberries, sandwiches, pumpkin juice (from her stash at her cabin), chunks of watermelon and cookies she had baked after a night of no sleep.

"I just thought I'd bring you some lunch." she said nonchalantly.

He eyed her warily before smirking. "You and your blueberries."

She popped one into her mouth and chewed promptly before resting her chin on her hand and studying his features. He looked troubled, as he had the past few days. It seemed that the lines that every so often plagued his smooth, pale skin were becoming permanent. His eyes had turned a stormy grey, dark and depressing compared to their usual glistening moonlight shine. The corners of his mouth had been stuck in a frown since their visit to the graveyard.

"You can't avoid this conversation forever, Draco." she told him.

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. "How much do you want to bet that I can?"

His tone was dry, the words rehearsed as if he had spent the past few nights coming up with endless responses to her questions.

"This isn't the Manor, and I'm not your mother or father. You don't have to hide away your feelings." she retorted, feeling slightly hurt that he felt the need to hide whatever it was that was bothering him.

At her words, his glare darkened, his eyes flashing dangerously. "There's no need to bring up my parents, Granger."

The food between them remained untouched, aside from a few missing blueberries. Tension crackled between them like electricity in the air before lightning struck. The pair glared at each other from across the counter, each one daring the other to speak first.

She just wanted him to open up to her, like she had done to him. They had made love for the first time not even a week ago, and he was shutting her out.

_How dare he? _she thought.

"Draco, relationships are a two way street, in case you didn't know. I've been worried about you for days! I've opened up to you, told you things not even Harry or Ron know, and this is what I get? You shutting me out? Well guess what, if you're not going to tell me what's going on, then I'm not opening up anymore." she ranted as her chest heaved with built up frustration and her eyes began to burn with wounded tears.

Normally he'd let his pride get the best of him. If she were talking to the old Draco, he'd have told her to leave then, that he didn't give a damn if she shut him out. But he had learned that honoring your pride only deepens wounds you want to heal. Hermione was the first good thing to happen to him in his life, and he was much smarter than he had been just a mere few months ago, to let it get away.

It was with a heavy sigh of resignation that Draco spoke finally, trying to remain cool and collected.

"I'll tell you what's been going on, just not here, alright? You can come over my place after work." he compromised.

Draco Malfoy wasn't one to talk about feelings, but if he was going to, it was going to be in the privacy of his own home, without the fear of a stranger walking in on the whole ordeal.

Hermione stared at him blankly for a few moments, allowing her anger to simmer and his words to catch up with her. She hadn't expected it to be that easy. Shouldn't there have been shouting? Arguing?

"I suppose that works." she offered meekly, picking at a turkey and mustard sandwich.

"You can come over around nine, then. I have some inventory and stocking to take care of after I close the shop." Draco explained before she could question him.

Hermione nodded, accepting his explanation only because of his promise to tell her what's been bothering him. If she pushed him about his unconvincing excuse, he might shut down completely and take back his compromise.

"I hope there isn't trouble in paradise for this couple?" an unwelcomed, yet familiar voice said from the door way.

The man, who had introduced himself as Al just last week, was now leaning against the frame of the shop door, an innocent expression upon his face.

Draco scowled at the mysterious man, already fed up with whatever games he was playing at. Hermione eyed the man warily, surreptitiously checking the basket for her wand, and covering up the strange act by retrieving some napkins.

"I thought my message the first time was clear, but apparently not. If you're not going to buy anything, leave my shop." the blonde wizard warned, standing as tall as he could.

Al smiled and shook his head. "Lucky for me then, because I am here to buy something. It's not my fault I happened to walk in at the end of an argument."

Hermione and Draco watched him saunter through the aisles, plucking books from the shelves as he went. The mere few minutes that passed felt like an eternity, waiting with bated breath until the man would leave. Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about him made her uneasy.

Finally, Al approached the counter with his books. He gave Draco a sort of smug smirk as the blonde began to ring out his books. Hermione didn't dare look at the man, so instead she focused her attention on the storm clouds beginning to roll in. Draco announced his total, accepted the payment and watched with steely eyes as Al made a slow exit, smiling at the pair before he slipped out of the shop.

They watched as he walked past the shop windows, still smiling at them, until he disappeared. Hermione let out what felt like her real first breath since the man had entered the shop.

"I don't like him, Draco. There's just something about him..." Hermione confided.

Draco didn't look at her, he was still looking out the front windows, as if expecting him to reappear any second.

"I don't like him either." he said finally, returning his gaze to the concerned brunette.

"Draco, have you...erm, considered the possibility that he might be a Death Eater?" she asked timidly.

"Of course, I have." he snapped, "but if he was he would have done something by now."

"Not necessarily. He could just be waiting for the right moment." she retorted, feeling rather annoyed that he had snapped at her.

Draco immediately shook his head, turning his thoughts over and over in his head. "No. The orders are if they find me, kill me. I'm not Potter, there is no right moment. No, if he were a Death Eater, I would have been dead by now."

The way he explained it...so matter-of-factly, made her heart ache. He didn't sound worried, or frightened. Yet here she sat, with a pounding heart and sweating palms just thinking of all the horrible possibilities. Why wasn't this bothering him as much as it was bothering her? Why was he not as concerned about that creepy man?

"Draco," she began, ready to spill her worries.

But before she could continue Draco leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on her slightly parted, blue stained lips. She frowned at him and pushed him away.

"I want to talk about this." she demanded, her voice wavering slightly.

"Well I don't." he said rather harshly.

Hermione was about to lash out at him, when he shot her an apologetic glance. She watched his chest rise and fall with a heavy sigh, his hands on his hips and his head bowed.

"At least not right now. We can add this to the list of things you want to talk about when you come over tonight, alright?" he muttered quietly, unable to look her in the eyes.

Hermione continued to frown at him, unsure if she should be concerned about his behavior, or just angry. She pursed her lips as she packed up their mostly uneaten food, not saying a word to him. Draco watched her curiously, her hands were shaking slightly. When everything was packed away, Hermione gathered the basket in her arms, stalked over the door before turning to him with an icy glare.

"Fine. And in case you weren't aware, usually one would apologize for being unnecessarily rude. So you better get practicing." she said coolly.

Draco was left speechless as he watched his witch march out the door, not even bothering to glance back at him.

* * *

><p>Hermione returned to her cabin on shaky knees and tears ready to spill out of her burning eyes. She set the basket down as soon as the door was shut, and allowed herself to sink to the floor, as the tears began to fall.<p>

Maybe it was silly for crying, but she couldn't help it. She had been doing better since their visit to Tonks and Remus' grave, but the slight relief of guilt over their deaths had brought about other feelings of guilt she hadn't even realized she was shutting out. Draco's attitude the past few days, and the way he spoke to her today felt like the icing on the cake to her bad week.

Maybe she should have been more honest with him about how she was feeling instead of allowing it all to build up. But whatever was bothering him had seemed more important in her mind. This whole situation was just a case of miscommunication.

Part of her was dreading going to Draco's tonight, with fear that the conversation would be very similar to the one they just had at his shop. But she knew they would have to let this all out at some point, and after all, she wanted him to talk. She wanted him to open up to her.

Hermione felt her lungs begin to burn as she fought for air through her sobs. Every negative emotion she had felt since the war ended was resurfacing; guilt, fear, horror, anxiety, sadness, grief. Moments were being replayed in her head like a horror movie she was being forced to watch. Voldemort chasing them as they flew to the Burrow...losing Mad-Eye...leaving Ron's family and her parents to hunt Horcruxes with Harry...Ron leaving them...Bellatrix and the excruciating pain that overtook her body as she was tortured mercilessly...it was flooding back to her. The sharp stabs of pain felt fresh as if she was experiencing it all for the first time.

The war had brought so much pain and loss and fear. When was it going to end? When was she going to stop being haunted by these unwanted memories?

She had no idea how long she sat curled up on her floor, hugging herself and crying. She didn't even take notice to the sky growing darker around her isolated cabin.

* * *

><p>Draco felt guilty about the way he had talked to Hermione earlier. Controlling his anger was something he had always struggled with. Of course Hermione hadn't done anything wrong...she was worried about him. And he chose to take his frustration out on her.<p>

He spent the rest of the afternoon beating himself up over Hermione's icy departure, her glare burned into his brain. She didn't deserve to be treated the way he had treated her, and he knew he would have to make it up to her. Draco sighed to himself, rubbing his temples. He could feel a headache coming on and wanted nothing more than a glass of whiskey to chase it away.

Five o'clock had rolled around before he knew it. Draco closed up the shop, made sure everything was in order and owled his mother to let him know he was going to be on his way.

* * *

><p>He had never been to his Aunt Andromeda's house before, and was slightly nervous about seeing his aunt. They had never spoken before and he hoped she wouldn't be hostile towards him.<p>

While the muggle town he and Hermione resided in was quiet and secluded, it was nothing compared to the country side his aunt lived at. Vast fields of wild flowers and tall grass surrounded her small house, allowing the cool summer breeze to wash over his exposed skin repeatedly.

Feeling uncomfortable, he approached the front door and rapped his knuckles against the dark wood door. He shuffled his feet as footsteps sounded from inside, along with muffled voices.

"Draco, my son." his mother's soft voice greeted him.

She looked tired, and slightly aged. It was clear the past two months in hiding had not been easy on her. There was more grey in her hair than he remembered, accompanied by thin lines around the corners of her mouth and eyes. But overall, she looked over joyed to see her son alive and healthy.

"Mother, it's good to see you." he replied in an even tone.

Narcissa stepped aside to let him enter, watching him carefully as he did so. He seemed troubled with his mouth set in a thin line and worry lines creasing his pale skin. She led him to the kitchen and began fumbling with two mugs.

"Is tea alright?" she asked, her back facing him.

The throbbing in his head was growing. He pulled back a chair, grinding his teeth as it scraped against the hardwood floor.

"If there's any sort of whiskey, I'll have that instead." Draco requested.

Narcissa gave a small nod and withdrew a glass from a cabinet, along with a glass of firewhiskey. She set the bottle and glass down in front of him, watching as he filled it to the brim. He gulped it back in one take, feeling the warmth spreading throughout his tired limbs. The pounding in his head immediately turned into a fuzzy static. She finished making her tea before sitting herself across from her son.

"How have you been, Mother?" he asked wearily.

She shrugged, taking a sip from her steaming tea.

"The country side is nice...peaceful. I forgot how wonderful your Aunt is." she murmured thoughtfully.

Draco nodded before pouring himself another glass, only filling it halfway this time.

"Draco we don't have to do small talk." his mother told him, offering a soft smile.

He shook his head as he swirled the amber liquid around and around in the glass, watching it slosh against the sides.

"Do you remember Hermione Granger?" Draco asked, waiting for some sort of outburst.

"The muggle-born girl? Yes, of course." Narcissa answered, curious as to where her son was going with this.

He took a long swig of the firewhiskey, smacking his lips as it slid down his throat. She waited patiently for him to speak again, cupping the hot mug between her veiny hands. Draco thought over his next words carefully, knowing there was no easy way to tell his mother about his relationship.

"She lives in the same town as I do. We've developed a romantic relationship since then." he explained.

Draco was expecting his mother to cringe, to tell him to leave, or even to laugh. But instead she just stared at him, her head slightly cocked to the side. After moments of silence, she spoke. Her voice was soft, causing Draco to lean forward just to catch her words.

"Does she make you happy, Draco?" her lips barely moving as she spoke.

"Yes, she does." There was no hesitation in his answer.

"Then what's the problem?" his mother asked.

He didn't quite know how to word it, partly because it sounded a bit ridiculous. But it didn't _feel _ridiculous; it felt like a constant weight crushing his chest. He was normally good at compartmentalizing his feelings and memories, but this guilt he couldn't lock away. It wouldn't leave him alone.

"I feel like I don't deserve her. I bullied her for five years, Mother. She was tortured right in front of me in our home. She shouldn't forgive me for that, she should hate me." he rushed out.

Draco never opened up like this, he didn't typically express his insecurities so easily. But he had always been able to talk to his mum and the firewhiskey was certainly helping. Narcissa shook her head sadly, studying her son. She had never seen him like this before, and if she was honest with herself, it unnerved her a bit.

"Forgiving you is her decision, not yours, Draco. Have you talked to her about this?" she said firmly.

He shook his head. "She's coming over tonight. I've been a bit distant the past few days. But I wanted to talk to you first."

Narcissa nodded curtly and sipped her tea with pursed lips. Draco downed the rest of his whiskey, as they sat in silence. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, casting an orange glow over the fields.

"I suppose you're unhappy with me for dating her?" he asked somewhat defensively.

The elder witch nearly choked her tea. She grabbed a napkin and dabbed the drops of tea that had dribbled onto her chin. Her eyes were wide with shock as her son stared at her, his face hard as stone.

"Draco, I never said that. I'm not going to pretend I fully understand, but I'm not unhappy. You are a grown man, and you are perfectly capable of making your own decisions. Besides, if I remember correctly she's a very bright witch." Narcissa said gently.

He rolled his eyes at her response, but said nothing more on the matter.

"Where's Aunt Dromeda?" he asked, glancing around the rest of the house.

"She went down to a local market for food. She left not long before you arrived, actually."

Narcissa fiddled with her hands under the table. She knew Draco didn't believe her, even though she wasn't lying. How could she blame him?

"Draco," she whispered softly, leaning across the table and taking one of his hands in hers. "I truly am alright with your relationship. Perhaps you could even bring her round for tea some day."

Her eyes crinkled as she smiled warmly at her son. He looked for a hint that she was lying; a twitch in her lip, a break in eye contact. There was nothing. Nothing but an unfamiliar glint in her eye and a genuine smile.

"I know it's hard to believe, but above everything else, your happiness is the most important thing to me." she spoke again, as tears pooled at her light grey eyes.

Draco swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. He wasn't fond of crying and sentimental moments, they made him uncomfortable.

"Hermione will be nervous about meeting you." he said, his throat feeling dry now.

Narcissa smiled sadly. "Well...make sure you tell her I'll be on my best behavior."

"I will, Mother. But I can't make her go if she doesn't want to." he warned, his lips cracking into a smile at the thought of his stubborn witch.

"Of course. Now, I think it's time for you to head back. You need a clear head and a calm attitude before the two of you talk." Narcissa said, rising from the table.

Draco followed suit and followed her out to the front door. He made sure to hug her tight, planting a brief kiss upon her wrinkled cheek.

"Keep in touch, Draco. Two months without you is far too long." his mother requested as he stepped over the threshold.

He nodded in response before making his way down the dirt path.

* * *

><p>Hermione had made sure the puffiness and redness from her eyes were gone before she made her way over to Draco's that night. She splashed her face several times with cold water, cast a few quick charms before she was satisfied. The rain had yet to begin, but the storm clouds were still hanging threateningly overhead. She knew she would have to hurry if she didn't want to get caught in the rain.<p>

She dashed out the door, waited until she was out of the area of her wards before apparating to Draco's.

Hermione made sure to keep a firm grip on her wand, as she walked past the few houses before she arrived at Draco's. It was completely dark outside, with only two street lights providing for the whole street. She quickly climbed the stoned steps before knocking on his front door.

Though her appearance looked calm and collected, her nerves were currently rippling through her stomach in nauseating waves. There was no telling how the night would turn out. She wasn't worried about not being able to handle Draco, but the fact that they may argue in the first place...she didn't like it. He was the first good thing to happen to her since the war, and who knew how much time they had left together...she didn't want this arguing to become a regular thing. She wanted as many happy memories as possible.

With a blast of cool air, the door opened, with a pair of pearl grey eyes peering from behind the door.

"Come in, quickly." he said in a hushed voice.

She crossed the threshold with quick strides, as Draco shut the door behind her. He placed a hand on the small of her back and led her to the sitting area.

"Do you want anything to drink?" he asked

"No I'm fine, Draco, thank you. All I want to do is talk." she replied curtly, sitting down on the couch.

Draco wanted to sigh, but bit his tongue before he joined her on the couch. He reached out to place a hand on her knee, his fingers cool against her skin. She glanced up at him with a hurt expression that she didn't bother to hide. Her own hurt reflected his eyes.

"Granger...Hermione," he corrected, "I shouldn't have snapped at you today. You didn't deserve that."

"No, I didn't." she said boldly, sitting up a little straighter. "What's been going on with you?"

This time, he did sigh. He had been extremely nervous about telling her this. What if she thought he crazy?

"I don't quite understand why you're with me." he said.

Hermione narrowed her eyes in confusion and licked her dry lips. She searched his features, which were ridden with anguish. His eyes flickered onto hers, waiting for her to say something.

"What are you talking about Draco?" she whispered, gripping the hand that was still resting on her exposed knee.

"I used to hate you! I bullied you! You were tortured in _my house!" _he yelled, more so angry at himself than at her for not understanding.

"Draco-"

"You should still hate me." he said quietly, painfully.

"That was a long time ago...you've changed." she comforted, running her fingers through his hair.

"How do you do it? How did you forgive me so easily?" he pressed, wanting to understand.

Hermione thought over her answer, knowing that it was simple. She smiled to herself before cupping his face with gentle fingers.

"You proved yourself to me. Defecting...treating me with kindness and respect...being there for me. Besides, it's not as if I let everything you said to me over the years get to me. I'm tough, remember?" she explained, smirking at him.

"Besides, your actions were fed by thoughts that were never your own. You and I both know you never had a chance, until recently that is, to form your own opinions. But I am proud of the ones you've formed." she said lovingly.

Draco nodded, unsure if he agreed with her decision, but grateful for it nonetheless. He had no idea what to say in response.

"If I didn't think you deserved me, I would have avoided you after the first day that I saw you." she laughed.

He pulled her in for a hug, burying his face in the crook of her neck, and stroking her hair. Her arms wrapped around his back, her hands moving in slow circles. They stayed like that for a while, just hugging. Holding one another as close as they possibly could. Draco felt tears prick at his eyes, but he wasn't going to cry in front of her. Not tonight, at least. Hermione smiled in relief, having the comfort of knowing that he cared about her enough to open up to her and let her in.

* * *

><p><em>July 11th, 1998<em>

Hermione spent the entire weekend at his place. They made love countless times; as soon as they woke up, before he left for work, when he came home and always, _always _before they went to bed. She had become quite comfortable in his home, helping herself to numerous cups of tea and taking the liberty of preparing dinner for the two of them. He had begun bringing home rare books for her to read, which absolutely delighted her.

She'd go to his shop at lunch time like usual, and sometimes they would go for ice cream. On Friday and Saturday night they had gone out for dinner like they always did, enjoying delicious meals and forming a new tradition of trying a different wine each time.

The only banter that occurred between them was playful, often leading to tickle fights, which usually landed them between the sheets stealing passionate kisses and filling the room with loud moans.

Now, it was Sunday morning and they were enjoying breakfast. He sipped his coffee as he read the morning paper, to which she mocked him for being an old man.

"Oh right because every seventeen year old girl spends their breakfast with their nose buried in a book and drinking tea?" retorted with a smirk.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "You'd be quite surprised."

He watched as she sipped her tea, setting in down gently on the table before picking up her toast. Tea. His mother. He would have to bring it up at some point...and now seemed as good as time as any.

"Remember on Thursday how I told you I had inventory to take care of?" he asked her, breaking the temporary silence.

Hermione set her book down, sensing there was a confession coming her way. "Yes..."

"I didn't," he admitted. "I went to my mother's, well, technically my aunt's. Anyway, I told her about us and she wants to come by for tea some time."

She stammered at his confession, unsure of what to think.

"You mean you lied to me?" she accused.

"Yes, but I wanted to talk to my mother about what I told you that night. I was...nervous." Draco explained, not wanting to spoil a good morning.

Maybe this wasn't good timing.

She clucked her tongue as she mulled over his words. The fact that he had been nervous about their talk that night, and more importantly, about sharing his feelings with her softened her annoyance towards him. And then her brain caught up with his previous words.

_She wants us to come by for tea some time. _

"Draco, I don't-" she started with a shake of her head.

"Look, we don't have to. But she said if you did, she'd be on her best behavior. Just think about it, alright?

"I'll think about it." she answered finally, picking up her book once more.

* * *

><p>After breakfast and a not-so-quick shower together, Hermione gathered her belongings and gave Draco a prolonged kiss before heading back home.<p>

Draco stood on his front steps, watching her retreating figure with a smile on his face. It felt good to know he was capable of holding a healthy relationship. He happened to glance down at his feet before retreating inside when he caught sight of a blank envelope, bulging slightly. He glanced around at the other houses...no sign of anyone peeping out their windows or hiding in the small alleys between some of the houses. There was no one leaving the street that shouldn't be there. Instead the street was completely empty.

He picked up the envelope and quickly stepped inside. Perhaps Hermione had dropped it? Before opening it, he cast a few spells to detect if it was laced with dark magic or curses, feeling thankful nothing had happened when he picked it up.

Nothing showed up. Hesitantly he opened it, allowing the contents to spill onto his table. Several pictures were staring up at him, along with a folded piece of parchment. He examined them more closely, horror and shock growing inside him with every passing second.

They were all pictures of him and Hermione from this weekend. The two of them returning from his shop...leaving to go to dinner...licking ice cream cones and holding hands...her walking to his house Thursday night.

His hands were shaking violently, blood was rushing to his ears while his heart felt like it was going to burst through his chest. His eyes were wide as they darted to the piece of parchment he had yet to look at and all of him didn't want to. But he needed to. He needed to know if it was a threat to himself, or worse, Hermione.

Draco reached for the parchment, unfolded it and felt it fall from his fingertips as soon as the words registered in his mind.

_I know. I'm watching._

* * *

><p>AN: Please don't hate me for the cliffy! I'm so sorry! I love you guys yet I torture you! Now this chapter was a bit depressing, apologies for that. I'm sure quite a few of you are confused about the man that has once again visited Draco's shop, but answers will come with time. So just have a little patience (: Anyway, I apologize for the day late update on this chapter. I've been dealing with a stressful situation, and it held me back just a little bit. I also found this chapter a bit difficult to write, so I hope it's alright. Thank you for reading and for the continuous attention this fic is getting! My heart soars whenever I see the numbers grow. Please leave reviews as they let me know whether you guys enjoy this, and how much you enjoy it (or if you don't like it, in which case just be polite about it).


	7. Tea

Chapter 7

_July 14th, 1998_

Draco had successfully convinced Hermione that his place had flooded, and he would need to stay at her place while the damage was taken care of. He knew he should have told her about the photographs right away, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She was already worried about him, knowing first hand what the Death Eaters could be like. There was no way he was going to add more to her plate.

Instead he secretly added more wards to her cabin, and his home. He had been sure to bury the photos and the note, ensuring Hermione would never find it. Draco had also decided to dress in disguise from now on, and covered it up by simply replying 'Mother scolded me for not being more cautious' when she questioned him.

Aside from the secret of the photographs, the past few days had gone smoothly and Hermione had even agreed to have tea with his Mother.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about this, Draco?" Hermione asked nervously.<p>

She had only met his Mother once and it was not a moment she would have chosen for herself. Being tortured by her sister while they held her best friend's captive.

The blonde gave her a reassuring squeeze of her shoulder as they made their way up the dirt path to his Aunt's. The sky had turned a midnight blue as the sun disappeared into the horizon. The moon was beginning to rise in the sky, though currently concealed by a thick blanket of clouds. The air still smelled of rain, while a light wind ruffled the moist grass around them.

Orange lights illuminated the cabin, with silhouettes of two women apparently chatting in the kitchen. Hermione inhaled a shaky breath as they approached the front door. Draco took the liberty of knocking, while Hermione tried her best to wipe the sweat off of her palms.

Only a moment passed before the door swung open, revealing a witch Hermione had never seen before. The elder witch with dark brown house laced with strands of gray stared at the couple, before her lips twisted into a warm smile.

"Draco, it's been a very long time." his aunt said finally, pulling her nephew into a hug.

The former Slytherin appeared a bit uncomfortable at his Aunt's gesture, but was nevertheless polite as he returned her hug and pecked her cheek with a kiss.

Andromeda's eyes fell onto Hermione, without a trace of disgust or judgment. Instead her eyes seemed warm, and welcoming.

The elder witch extended her hand to Hermione before saying, "You must be Hermione. I've heard so much about you. I'm Andromeda, Draco's Aunt."

Hermione shook the kind woman's hand, smiling all the while. A knot of nerves twisted in her stomach. She was meeting Tonks' mother. The mother of the woman's death she felt responsible for. Did Andromeda know what happened? Surely not if she was being treated so kindly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs.-"

"Please," Andromeda insisted over her. "Andromeda."

Hermione swallowed hard, but nodded.

Andromeda stepped aside, welcoming them inside. A fire roared in the sitting area, while music flowed from the kitchen to the rest of the house. Andromeda had asked if they wanted to meet Teddy, but before Hermione could say no, the elder witch had run off anyway to retrieve the newborn.

"Draco," Hermione hissed under her breath. "I thought this was tea with your mother. Not an evening of being guilt-tripped by your Aunt."

He merely shrugged at her, keeping an eye out for the return of his aunt. "It's not like she knows Hermione. Relax."

She scowled at him in annoyance. Apparently, comfort was not his strong point, at least not in the company of others. They sat anxiously on a couch, with Draco's mother nowhere in sight. Hermione's knee had begun to bounce up and down when Andromeda returned, carrying a small bundle in her arms.

A large smile rested on the witch's face as she approached the young couple. She looked tired up close; wrinkles had set in around her eyes and mouth, accompanied by dark purple rings under her eyes.

"Now he hasn't been asleep for very long, but let's hope he stays that way, yes?" she said breathlessly as she handed Teddy over to Hermione.

Hermione shifted the sleeping baby in her arms so she was firmly supporting his head. Her heart was pounding slightly, and she began to feel tears fill her eyes. She couldn't do this. She couldn't hold, let alone look at him. But with two sets of eyes on her, one hopeful, the other filled with concern, she forced herself to look down. His hair was a bright purple today, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

Andromeda smiled softly. "Nymphadora was so happy when his hair began changing minutes after he was born."

The younger witch stiffened at those words, and tried her best to hide her grimace. Draco spoke up and asked where his mother was, steering the conversation far away from any more talk of Tonks and Teddy.

"She's in the kitchen finishing preparing the tea." his Aunt explained, reclaiming Teddy and retreating to his bedroom.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered, grateful that Draco had read her mind.

He nodded in response and suggested they head into the kitchen. Hermione followed suit as she willed her knees to stop wobbling. Narcissa was a powerful and collected woman, along with intimidating. Draco had insisted she changed over the past few months, but Hermione wasn't so sure.

Narcissa's back was turned when they entered the kitchen. She was swaying slightly on the spot, while humming along to the song currently playing. The scene was quite strange, so strange that even Malfoy looked shocked.

"Mother." Draco snapped, pulling her from her revere.

His mother's mouth parted slightly in shock, a pale blush rushing to her cheeks in embarrassment.

"Draco, Hermione. Thank you for coming." she greeted, forcing a smile.

"Thank you for inviting me." Hermione offered, hoping the matriarch didn't notice the waver in her voice.

Malfoy stepped forward to give his mother a kiss on the cheek before pulling out a chair for Hermione. Narcissa fumbled with the tray before setting it down on the table and taking a seat across from Draco and Hermione. An uncomfortable silence fell between the group, with only the clatter of china as they retrieved their cups of tea.

Andromeda returned from Teddy's room looking slightly troubled before sitting down next to her sister and plucking up the last tea cup.

Narcissa cleared her throat and set down her tea cup. "I think it's best if we cut to the chase. Hermione, I hope you understand that I did not and do not condone what happened in my home. And I'm sure we can move past that."

Hermione looked at Draco briefly. This was not a request or a proposal, it was a statement. The young witch returned her stare to the sisters, trying her best to smile sweetly.

"Yes, we can." she muttered quietly, subconsciously rubbing the spot on her arm where that word was still carved.

Draco slipped his hand onto hers, stopping her movement. His fingers interlaced with hers, pulling her hand off of her arm.

Narcissa wanted to know how their summer was going so far, carefully avoiding the subject of the war. No one wanted to seem to talk about it. Hermione had completely forgotten about her tea, and instead focused her nervous energy on fidgeting her fingers underneath the table. Draco did his best to talk about the bookstore as much as he could, but Narcissa was too focused on Hermione.

"So, Hermione, what exactly is it that your parents do?" his mother asked, delicately picking up her tea cup.

Hermione felt her heart sink slightly. Did she have to bring up her parents?

"They're...were dentists. Erm, they fixed teeth." she rushed out, already feeling the familiar blush to her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, were?" Andromeda cut in, earning herself a sharp stare from her sister.

"Yes. They live in Australia now. I had to...modify their memory. To keep them safe." the young brunette answered quietly, looking down at her lap.

Hermione heard the scrape of a chair and before she could look up she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. A luscious wave of straight brunette hair shielded her view of the kitchen. Andromeda seemed to be hugging her. After a brief moment, and a tight squeeze, she was released.

"Hermione, I apologize. If I had known of your situation, I would not have asked." Narcissa apologized, looking grim.

"Oh that's quite alright. I don't mind talking about it, really." Hermione assured the matriarch.

Narcissa offered her a warm smile, before changing the subject to telling embarrassing stories of Draco as a child.

* * *

><p>Hermione lay on Draco's chest that night, wrapped in her sheets. Her finger tips ran across his stomach, up and down his sides and pausing at the band of his underwear just for a tease. His eyelids were fluttering shut, sleep calling his name.<p>

"If you keep that up I won't be awake to hear your thoughts on earlier." he murmured into the darkness.

She sighed, ceasing the pattern she had been following against his skin. "She doesn't like me, Draco."

There was only one word to describe their tea with his mother and aunt earlier that night: awkward.

"Oh hush," he whispered, kissing her temple. "She told me she likes you. She just doesn't know how to deal with it. Yet."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She seems fine around her sister. And she married a muggle-born. And created a child with him."

Draco waved his hand in the air. He pulled Hermione closer, pushing away her bushy curls. "Mother never met Ted, or Tonks. She never had to get to know them. Besides, she's just not a talkative person. Never has been."

She knew it would take time for Narcissa to get used to their relationship, but she did not like that she left her second time meeting the Malfoy matriarch as though she were unwelcomed.

"Give her time, Hermione. At least she's trying."

* * *

><p><em>July 18th, 1998<em>

Neither would admit it, but both of them confined to Hermione's small cabin was starting to get to them. Draco quickly grew tired of the babbling creek and cliff side view of the ocean. He had basically every book in her cabin along with the books in his shop. Hermione had grown tired of making suggestions that he only turned down, and quickly began snapping at him whenever he complained.

"I don't understand why you didn't buy a house to begin with, or even a flat!" Draco retorted over dinner that Sunday evening.

"I've _told _you, I wanted to be away from people. I couldn't do that in a house or flat. Not around here, at least." she replied calmly, cutting into her steak.

The blonde rolled his eyes and slammed down his fork. "Wanted, Hermione. It's pathetically boring out here. Not to mention this cabin isn't much bigger than that giant oaf's hut at Hogwarts."

Hermione rose quickly, the chair scraping against the wooden floors. Her cheeks were flushed as her bottom lip began to tremble. "Don't insult Hagrid! He's got nothing to do with this. I like it out here. If you don't then you can leave!"

He narrowed his eyes into slits, trying to control the boiling anger inside him. She continued to glare at him, arms crossed over her chest. The tension crackling between them was almost tangible. Maybe he would leave. It was probably safe to return now anyway, and he had placed extra wards around his home.

Draco said nothing as he made his final decision, strutting to the door. Hermione stared after him in disbelief, tears ready to spill. He was really leaving. The door slammed behind him, the windows rattling from the vibrations. She flinched, feeling the heat rise to her face as she began to cry.

* * *

><p><em>July 23rd, 1998<em>

Hermione hadn't bothered to owl him or visit his shop, or even stop by his house. She didn't want to see him or talk to him, at least not yet. She knew her place was small, but she liked it. Besides, she was not Draco's only living option. He could have stayed with his mother, or asked for help from a member of the Order. And she certainly hadn't forced him to stay with her. The entire situation was ridiculous, and she even felt a bit embarrassed about the whole ordeal.

But she was still angry at him for leaving, not to mention hurt.

Luckily she had plenty of food, and no reason to go in to town. Those five days she spent reading and re-reading the countless books in her cabin, and walking about the woods. Admittedly, the books seemed less enchanting and the woods seemed dull and unappealing with the absence of Draco.

* * *

><p>He wanted to go back to her as soon as he arrived home. But he couldn't. Another letter had been left on his doorstep when he returned.<p>

He had yet to open it.

Instead he let it haunt him, sitting on his desk for five days. It was the first thing his eyes fell to when he entered the room and the last thing he glared at before heading off to bed.

When Hermione had stayed with him those few days last week, his house had seemed complete. Less empty. He could smell her shampoo in his bedroom when he woke up, and he could kiss her any time of day. He would make coffee for them in the morning, and smile at her ruffled hair as she hummed sleepily. It felt right having here her.

He wanted to make things right, but not until he opened that letter. He wouldn't make his next move until he knew what it contained. If he ran off to apologize to Hermione without knowing what the letter said, it could put her in danger. And that was the last thing he wanted to do.

So he forced himself to sit at his desk, hands trembling slightly as they held the unopened letter. He reminded himself that he needed to do this. This was something he couldn't ignore. Without any further hesitation, Draco ripped open the envelope, fumbling for the parchment inside.

As quickly as his shaking hands would allow, he unfolded the letter, his eyes scanning the words staring up at him.

_Hiding from us now? We will find you, Draco Malfoy. _

Draco let out a shaky breath, dropping the letter. His eyes fell to more pictures, that had clearly fallen from the envelope. This time, however, they were all of Hermione. She was leaving his shop, she was walking down his street, she was shopping at the market.

Their message was clear. Draco stared at the letter and the pictures, feeling his heart shatter into thousands of tiny pieces. There was only one thing he had to do.

* * *

><p><em>July 24th, 1998<em>

Hermione thought about going to his shop today, just to see if he was alright. Something in the air felt different today, and she had a feeling it had nothing to do with the storm clouds approaching. Perhaps a trip to the shop was necessary.

She made sure she had her wand before she left and cleared her wards. Within the blink of an eye, she disappeared into thin air.

The streets were empty as she made her way to Draco's shop, no one ever wanted to shop when there was a storm approaching. The exception, was a man standing directly in front the book shop. A man Hermione had seen before.

As she approached, she could see now the absence of light in his shop and the closed sign on the door. Her brows furrowed into a scowl, her heart now pounded against her chest. Al's features came into clear view as Hermione marched towards him. Before he could even notice she was there, she had grabbed by this sleeve of his shirt and dragged him into the alley between Draco's shop and a small clothing shop. She drew her wand with her free hand, pointing it directly at his throat. Magic sizzled in the tips of her fingers and the man cried out in pain. Her eyes narrowed into slits as his flesh burned.

"What do you did do to him?" she demanded.

Al stuttered, his face screwed up in pain. "I-I don't k-know what you're t-talking about."

Her chest heaved as she stared at the man. The man who had only seemed to come into his shop when she was there. And suddenly she realized how stupid she was at this moment. For all she knew, this man could be a disguised Death Eater, and she was alone with him, in an alley.

But the desire to know what had happened to Draco was greater than the fear for her safety.

"Tell me. Where he is now." she breathed.

"Who?" the man whimpered, seeming thoroughly confused.

"The blonde man that owns that shop! Tell me what you did with him!" she cried, pressing her wand harder into his throat.

"I don't know, I swear. I came to buy a new book for my wife and his shop was closed. I swear. Please stop pointing this stick at me. What is that thing anyway?" he pleaded, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Hermione mulled over his words. If he was a Death Eater, now would be his chance to get her. Make her doubt who he really was, and then snatch her. All she had to do was wait.

Thunder rumbled in the darkening above them. Al was still whimpering, his eyes squeezed shut. He wasn't trying to snatch her. He wasn't moving a single muscle. Rain was beginning to fall now, soaking their hair and clothes.

"Open your eyes." she ordered. "Now!"

Al did as he was told. All she saw was fear.

"Tell me you don't know where he is." her voice was cold and harsh as another round of thunder shook the sky.

Al moaned as she pressed her wand against his neck, his flesh continuing to burn.

"I told you...I don't know where he is. What is that thing?" he asked again, nodding down to her wand.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief before she quickly stunned him and watched him fall to the ground. She knelt down beside him, healed his small wound before taking a breath and focusing her wand.

"Obliviate."

* * *

><p>Hermione wasted no time disapparating back to the woods. She was completely soaked now, her hair plastered to her neck and face. She didn't know when she started crying, all she knew was that her lungs burned. Al wasn't a Death Eater, but it didn't help her figure out where Draco was. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong.<p>

She burst into her cabin, ready to pack her bag. But the sight of a figure she knew all too well was standing in the middle of her sitting area.

Another crash of thunder sounded from above after a bolt of lightning struck.

"Harry?" she breathed in disbelief.

Harry stepped forward, allowing her to see him fully. His lips were set in a thin line, his features blank.

"Ginny wasn't supposed to tell you." she murmured.

Her best friend walked towards her slowly, his foot steps silenced by the storm raging outside. Rain continued to patter against the windows as the wind howled. Hermione's chest continued to rise and fall as she waited for Harry to say something, anything.

He wasn't supposed to be here. He wasn't supposed to know.

"Hold on, did you do something to Draco?" she asked, her voice shaking.

Harry still said nothing as he drew closer to her. Hermione drew her wand, her eyes fixed on the young man approaching her with his wand raised. He stopped just a few inches before her, a look of deep regret buried in his forest green eyes.

"I promised I would do this." was all he said before he whispered the spell that made her eyes grow wide in shock.

"Obliviate."

* * *

><p>AN: Firstly, this is going to be a kind of long author's note.

I'd like to apologize for not updating for practically a month. I didn't lose interest, I just lost motivation and wasn't really able to accomplish much with this last episode of depression.

Secondly, I'm very happy to have this chapter up because I have an exciting announcement! Blueberry Stained Summer is the first fic in a three part series! This chapter is the second to last chapter, but it is not the end of Draco and Hermione's journey. I know you guys weren't expecting this, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

And yes, Al was just an innocent muggle who happened to a bit creepy. :P

Also, one of my fics, Seasons, was added to the community 'Draco and Hermione- Greatest Hits', so you should go read it! It's only a four part one-shot, so it's not terribly long at all.

Keep an eye out for the last chapter of this part, and if you'd like to know when the second part will be uploaded, I do recommend following me so you'll receive an email.

Lastly, thanks for reading!


	8. Hide

Chapter 8

_July 23rd, 1998_

Draco knew what he had to do. There was no way he was going to let Hermione become a causality if she didn't have to be. This was his fight, not hers. It didn't make his decision any easier.

His cave was damp and cold and dirty. Secluded as it was, he still avoided sleep. There was tiny shimmer of fear that kept him alert. There was still a chance he could be found. Now all alone, Draco found himself thinking of Hermione to calm his nerves.

He closed his eyes, laying back on the dirt floor and sighed. If he tried hard enough, he could picture Hermione popping blueberries into that tiny mouth of hers, humming and engrossed in a book. The mere image of her brought a smile to his face. Merlin, he missed her. He missed her touch, her lips, and even her heated rambling when he managed to piss her off.

This wasn't how he planned his summer to turn out. Leaving someone he loved behind, and back in hiding once again. Except this time, completely alone. He hadn't even been able to tell his Mother. But it was better this way, no one knowing where he was. Not even the Order knew of his new location.

Draco could hear the sound of the pouring rain soaking the ground. It was colder here than it had been in the muggle village, making him regret not bringing along any extra clothing. His stomach rumbled in the semi-darkness of the cage. The young wizard sighed and placed a hand on his stomach.

"Hush. I can't find food until night fall."

* * *

><p><em>July 29th, 1998<em>

If Draco counted correctly, it had been five days since Hermione had wondered where he was and why he hadn't tried to apologize to her yet. Then again, living in a cave with no communication to the outside world made it hard to keep track of time.

His clothes now bore a few rips and tears and his fingernails were ridden with dirt. He'd been able to hunt down some berries, but that had been it. He certainly didn't have the stomach to kill a live animal. Luck had been on his side when he discovered a small river not too far from his cave.

But being confined to a cave during sunlight hours was beginning to wear him down. The nights were cold, and he often came back with nearly frozen bones after only managing a handful of berries.

All in all, he was miserable and afraid.

Afraid that he would be found any day now. Afraid that the Order had learned of what he had done and would find him first, or worse, too late. Afraid that the Death Eaters had gotten to Hermione first. And afraid that they had tracked down his mother.

If they died because of him...no, he wouldn't let himself think about that.

His sanity was all that he had left, and he wasn't giving it up without a fight.

* * *

><p><em>August 6th, 1998 <em>

Draco had managed to steal a tent and some clothes from a muggle village he passed on his mission to find a new hiding spot. But the forest wasn't any less lonely that dreadful cave. Out here he could hear bugs croaking and scurrying about. The birds were much louder out in the open than in the confinement of his cave. And if it rained, well...hopefully the pathetically weathered tent would keep him dry.

At least he had wards set up to protect him, and water and food were much closer. Small victories when he had death trying to hunt him.

He had discarded his shabby and tattered robes, but found the pants were a few inches too short and the shirt was much too large. At least they were dry and clean and not covered in tears.

It was hard to continue looking at the positive side of things, though, and Draco found that this was hardest at night. He constantly longed for Hermione's wild curls to tickle his face and to feel the warmth of her sleeping body against his. He missed hearing her laugh and going on picnics with her. He missed watching her get dressed after a morning of gentle love-making, and Merlin did he miss making love to her.

Crickets chirped long into the night as Draco lay awake in his tiny tent, longing for the woman that was no longer his.

* * *

><p><em>August 9th, 1998 <em>

Summer was an arse. It was too bloody hot this afternoon. The river water had done nothing to cool him down, and shade was limited. He fucking hated this. He hated hiding. He hated being isolated from the rest of the world; his own kind and even muggles. He missed his Mother and he missed Hermione.

Draco had stripped down to his underwear, hoping it would help cool him off. Instead he was sitting in a pool of his own sweat. A pathetic pile of berries sat next to him, and just the sight of it caused his stomach to grumble. But he had to be rational when it came to food. There wasn't much around, and he wasn't going to die by starvation.

As he sat under the sweltering sun, his thoughts drifted back to his last conversation with Hermione. It had been an argument, and he found himself wishing he had at least patched things up between them.

But what did it matter really? She didn't remember him anymore.

* * *

><p><em>August 15th, 1998<em>

The days had started running together shortly after he had gone into hiding. The rise and set of the sun told him nothing. There was no way he could snag a copy of The Daily Prophet, nor had he managed to steal a copy of a muggle newspaper.

He hadn't seen his own reflection, properly that is, in almost a month. Peering down into the water always left him staring down at a distorted image, just barely able to make out the blonde stubble that had overtaken his chin and cheeks.

The clothes he managed to steal some time ago were dirty and reeked with sweat. He was always hungry and barely received three hours of sleep a night. His bones had begun to feel like weights in his limbs, and he found that he couldn't walk more than a mile or so without growing tired.

Draco had moved, yet again, back to another but different cave. He had been smart this time, however, and brought at least a week's worth of berries and water up with him.

Another lonely night had crept up on him, with still no sign of danger to his life. And then a horrible thought crept into his mind.

Was he being hunted? Or had he been imagining it?

* * *

><p><em>August 17th, 1998 <em>

His feet pounded against the Earth as he dodged the trees, his heart pounding in his ears. He quickly cast another stunning spell behind him and heard the thud of a Death Eater falling to the ground with a thud.

He should have known better than to leave his cave during sunlight.

He made a sharp left, nearing slipping on a pile of wet leaves. He was running faster now, glancing back every few seconds. They were nowhere in sight. But he couldn't stop yet, they could still catch up. With a burst of energy he bolted forward, heading straight for a thick set of trees.

The summer sun was beating down on him, sweat was dripping down his face and back. His feet were aching now, he could barely breathe properly without feeling as though his lungs would burst any second.

As soon as he reached the safety of the trees, he stopped. Draco sunk to the forest floor, still keeping his wand clenched tightly in his hand. His face and hands were covered in dirt and sweat. His breathing had slowed, but his heart was still rattling against his rib cage.

Draco stared into the dirt, wondering how he could have been so stupid.

It was then that he heard the footsteps. Draco rose quickly, wand at the ready. He could hardly see, the sun was so bright and he was dizzy. When was the last time he had water? He couldn't remember.

But something about this figure was familiar. The figure outstretched a hand, but Draco didn't dare reach for it. He didn't know who stood before him.

"It's over now, Malfoy. Come with me."

With heavy limbs and burning lungs, Draco latched hands with the mysterious figure. He was tired, so tired. Tired of hiding, tired of running. Tired of being covered in dirt and sweat.

He only hoped he wasn't taking himself to his own death.

* * *

><p>AN: This is it! The last chapter of the first part! Yes, this chapter is a lot shorter than the rest. Apologies for that. Any guesses on who it was the found Draco in the forest?

I'll be changing things up a bit as far as my writing and editing process for the part 2 and 3. I'll be doing more planning and I'll be writing several chapters at a time. I also have a beta now!

Anyway, let me know what you think and review please!


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